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Maligaon, September 8 (MExN): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 8 laid foundation stones for and inaugurated and dedicated railway infrastructure projects worth over Rs 35,000 crore in Gujarat, besides flagging off one passenger and four freight train services.
The projects include the Vadodara–Ratlam third and fourth railway lines, Miyagam Karjan–Choranda–Malsar gauge conversion, and Vishwamitri–Dabhoi doubling project, for which the Prime Minister laid the foundation stones.
The Jobat–Tanda Road New Rail Line was also inaugurated, providing enhanced rail connectivity and accessibility for passengers and communities in the region.
A major component of the programme was the dedication of the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to the nation. Describing the DFC as the “lifeline of a rapidly developing India,” Modi highlighted its role in enabling faster and more efficient freight movement.
According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the 2,800-km DFC is strengthening the national logistics network by providing high-capacity rail infrastructure connecting production centres, industrial hubs, ports and markets. It is enabling more than 430 freight trains to operate daily, reducing transit time and improving fuel efficiency and logistics performance.
Modi also flagged off the Tanda Road–Vadodara (Pratapnagar) passenger train service, aimed at improving connectivity and travel access for communities in previously underserved areas.
Four freight train services on the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor were also flagged off from New Sanand, New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal, Mumbai.
NFR said the DFC is facilitating faster movement of agricultural and other time-sensitive commodities to larger markets, while high-capacity operations, including double-stack container trains, are enhancing carrying capacity. A double-stack container freight train from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority to Vadodara carried cargo equivalent to more than 250 trucks, it added.
The Prime Minister also highlighted India's railway manufacturing capabilities, stating that since 2014, the country has manufactured around 50,000 modern coaches and introduced nearly 2.5 lakh wagons into the railway network.
The developments, according to NFR, further strengthen the railway's focus on connectivity, passenger and freight services, operational efficiency and the socio-economic development of the Northeast.
The initiatives reaffirm the government's focus on modernising Indian Railways, expanding connectivity, strengthening freight logistics and enhancing passenger services, it added.
