New chapter began in Railways: Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: A new chapter started in the development of Railways in the country under the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Sunday. He was speaking at an event at the Kachiguda railway station here on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagging off nine Vande Bharat trains, including the Hyderabad (Kachiguda)-Bengaluru (Yeswantpur) Vande Bharat Express, virtually.

The modernisation of railway stations is going on in a big way, he said. Reddy said nine new Vande Bharat trains being flagged off on a single day is a record. The nine trains inaugurated on Sunday connect 111 cities which include pilgrim centres, tourism destinations, commercial hubs, he said. The Hyderabad-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express is the third Vande Bharat train from Telangana. The two trains started earlier include Secunderabad-Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express trains, he said.

The Vande Bharat train launched today connects the three states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Reddy, Union Tourism and Culture Minister, said the Modi government is taking up many projects for development of railways in Telangana. PM Modi is likely to visit Telangana on October 1 (Mahabubnagar) and October 3 (Nizamabad). During his visit, he may lay foundation stone of some railway projects, he said. Every year 55 km of new line has been built in Telangana since the Modi government came to power, Reddy said.

The Centre has allocated new railway projects and new trains to Telangana, he said. Observing that the Railway network is less in Telangana compared to other states, he said the Centre is trying to improve railway network in the state. Telangana has been allocated Rs 4,418 crore this year for development of railways, while it was Rs 258 crore in 2014, he added.