Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the 306 km long Rewari – Madar section of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC) on January 7, 2021, through video conference. He also flagged off the Double Stack Long Haul Container Train on this route.
Governors of Rajasthan and Haryana, Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Haryana, and Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Kailash Choudhary, Rao Inderjit Singh, Ratan Lal Kataria, and Krishan Pal Gurjar , were present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said Maha Yajna to modernise the country’s infrastructure has gained a new momentum today. He listed the initiatives of the Government launched in the last 12 days to modernise the country like DBT to farmers, launch of National Mobility Card in Airport Express Line, inauguration of AIIMS Rajkot, IIM Sambalpur, Light House Projects in 6 cities, National Atomic Timescale and Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya, National Environmental Standards Laboratory, Kochi-Mangalore gas pipeline, 100th Kisan Rail, and a section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.
PM Modi said the Made in India vaccine for Corona approved a few days back has instilled a new confidence in the people. He said Dedicated Freight Corridor is seen as the game changer project for India in the 21st century. He said that with the launch of New Bhaupur – New Khurja section average speed of the freight train has tripled in that particular section.
The PM said with the flag off of the first double stacked container freight train from New Ateli in Haryana to New Kishanganj in Rajasthan, India has joined the select nations in the world. He lauded the efforts of the engineers and their team for this proud achievement. He said this dedicated freight corridor will bring new opportunities and new hopes for everyone especially farmers, entrepreneurs and merchants of Rajasthan. He said the dedicated freight corridor is not only the route for modern freight trains but also a corridor for rapid development of the country, according to a PIB release.
The Prime Minister said the Eastern Freight Corridor has also started showing how they are increasing the strength of different parts of the country. He said the western freight corridor will make farming and allied business in Haryana and Rajasthan easier and also impart new energy into cities like Mahendragarh, Jaipur, Ajmer and Sikar. Faster access to national and international markets have opened for the manufacturing units and entrepreneurs of these states at a much lower cost. Faster and cheaper connectivity to the ports of Gujarat and Maharashtra will boost new investment opportunities in the region.
Elaborating upon the benefit of the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the Prime Minister said that it will cover 133 railway stations in 9 states. At these stations, there will be multi model logistic parks, freight terminal, container depot, container terminal, parcel hub. All these will benefit the farmers, small industries cottage industries and larger manufacturers as well, he said. The Prime Minister also thanked the people of Japan for their technical and financial support in the project.
The Prime Minister emphasised the coordination between individual, industry and investment for modernisation of the Indian Railways. Recalling the woes of the passengers in the earlier times, the Prime Minister said that significant work has been done in the areas of cleanliness, timeliness, good service, ticketing, facilities and security. He gave examples of cleanliness of stations and compartments, biodegradable toilets, catering, modern ticketing and model trains like Tejas or Vande Bharat express, Vista-dome coaches. He also highlighted the unprecedented investment in broad gauging and electrification which has led to enhanced scope and speed of the railways. He talked of semi-high-speed trains, modern technology for laying down the tracks and expressed the hope that every North-Eastern state capital will be connected with railways.