Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on June 30 said new railway projects worth ₹1 lakh crore will be implemented in Odisha in the next five years.

Mr. Vaishnaw said this while addressing a felicitation programme organised by Odisha BJP in Bhubaneswar to felicitate the party’s 20 MPs and 78 MLAs elected in recently held Lok Sabha elections and Assembly elections in Odisha.

“The Congress government and the then Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government have neglected the development of the railway sector in Odisha. So, with the formation of a double-engine government of the BJP in Odisha and Centre, now, the gap created during the past years, will be met by creating a new record in these five years,” he said.

“Though many mega railway projects have been sanctioned, those were delayed due to delay in land acquisition by the previous BJD government,” said Mr. Vaishnaw, adding, “Now double engine government is formed and the pace of the railway projects will be accelerated.”

The Union Minister said the allocation to Odisha in the Railway Budget has been enhanced from ₹800 crore during the UPA government tenure to more than ₹10,000 crore during Modi government.

“During the past three consecutive years, more than ₹10,000 crore has been allocated to the State in the railway sector,” he said.

Mr. Vaishnaw further said a new railway line of 1,826 km was constructed in Odisha during the last 10 years, which is higher than the total railway network of Sri Lanka (1,700 km). He also said that 315 special trains will run to and from Puri during the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath for smooth travel and convenience of the pilgrims. “Last year, 222 trains were run during the Rath Yatra. The special trains have been planned from 25 districts of Odisha,” he added.

Mr. Vaishnaw, who is also the IT Minister, said that an electronic manufacturing cluster and a semi-conductor training centre will be set up in Odisha.

Congratulating the newly elected MLAs and MPs, he expressed confidence that the BJP government will continue to serve the people of Odisha for the next 50 years. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and two Deputy Chief Ministers K. V. Singh Deo and Pravati Parida are like Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra who have been given a big responsibility for the development of the State.

A lot of first-time MLAs and MPs have been elected in this election and the State for the first time has CM and Deputy CMs belonging to the BJP. With this team, a new Odisha will be built which will help in building a ‘Viksit Bharat’, Mr. Pradhan said.

Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram advised the BJP MLAs and MPs to have a mindset of ‘nation first, party second and self last’.

Mr. Oram said the BJP has helped the BJD to form a government in the State to end the Congress government. “But, they became “arrogant and became worse” like the Congress government. So, people have elected the BJP government,” he said.

New Delhi:

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday that the first trial run of the Sangaldan-Reasi train was completed, a significant milestone of crossing the world’s tallest railway bridge, Chenab.

Vaishnaw said, “1st trial train has successfully run from Sangaldan to Reasi, including crossing the Chenab Bridge.”

He also said, “All construction works for the USBRL are nearly finished, with tunnel No.1 remaining partially incomplete.”

Notably, the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir is taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

As the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project is almost completed, Indian Railways is edging closer to connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the railway network.

Chenab Bridge is a structural marvel built across a gorge of Chenab Bridge in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir under the USBRL Project.

This bridge was constructed 359 metres (around 109 feet) above the Chenab River in the Jammu and Kashmir region, and is around 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Earlier, the Ministry of Railways made it to the “Limca Book of Records” for “most people at a public-service event – multiple venues.

“The Railways Ministry organised an event on February 26, 2024, which was attended by 40,19,516 people at 2,140 venues.

The event was organised for the inauguration of road over/road under railway bridges and for laying the foundation stones of railway stations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The mammoth effort and mobilisation of Indian Railways have been recognised, and the same has entered the prestigious Limca Book of World Records.

Meanwhile, Ashwini Vaishnaw assumed charge as Minister of Railways for the second time under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday morning in Delhi.

Vaishnaw has been assigned portfolios as Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, apart from the Railways Ministry.

Earlier on Friday, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said that India’s first Vande Bharat sleeper trains will be on track within two months.

Vaishnaw said, “The completion work of the trainset of the Vande Bharat sleeper train is in full swing and the first train will be on track within two months. All technical works are in the last phase. The trainset is manufactured by BEML Ltd at its rail unit in Bangalore. The much-awaited Vande Bharat Sleeper version will provide easy mobility to commuters and offer various comforts in the near future with global standards.”

The Minister said that the Vande Bharat sleeper train body is made of high-grade austenitic stainless steel and includes crash-worthy elements integrated into the crash buffers and couplers.

“The car body structure is crafted with high-grade Austenitic stainless steel, featuring crashworthy elements integrated into the crash buffers and couplers. Complying with stringent safety standards, all materials and aggregates in the trainset adhere to the Fire standard requirements as per EN45545 HL3 grade,” Vaishnaw said.

Vaishnaw further added that the Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains designed by BEML prioritize both aesthetic appeal and functionality in their design.

“The Vande Bharat Sleeper Trains designed by BEML prioritize both aesthetic appeal and functionality in their interiors, sleeper berths, and exteriors. From the front nose cone to interior panels, seats and berths, interior lights, couplers, gangways and beyond, every element is meticulously designed to meet the exacting standards of the sleeper trainset,” he said.

Notably, India’s first semi-high speeds indigenously built Vande Bharat trains have completely transformed the passenger experience. After the success of this modern train, Indian Railways is now set to launch its indigenous high-speed trains, Vande Sleeper.

Designed for travel at speeds of up to 200 km/h, the Vande Bharat sleeper train is envisioned to provide an alternative to the present Rajdhani Express for premium long-distance travel.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)