Varanasi: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday said that the Vande Bharat Sleeper train is an excellent example of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. He recalled that the first Vande Bharat Express between Delhi and Varanasi was launched by PM Narendra Modi on Feb 15, 2019, as a chair car service, while the new sleeper version would connect the spiritual capital with the national capital more comfortably.The CM hailed PM Modi and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for introducing 10 new MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train services, including two between Varanasi and Prayagraj at an affordable fare plan.After flagging off the Varanasi–New Delhi Vande Bharat Sleeper train along with Vaishnav at Banaras railway station, Yogi said the new MEMU train services would make travel cheaper, faster and more convenient for students, traders, advocates, farmers, women, pilgrims and daily passengers.Highlighting the affordability of the monthly season ticket, Yogi said, youth, students, traders, lawyers and litigants apart from common people would now be able to travel between Kashi and Prayagraj for an entire month at just Rs 220. This amount is spent by most of the people in a day, he said.Yogi said the MEMU service between Kashi and Prayagraj would connect two major spiritual, cultural and educational centres of the country. He added that the route would also benefit advocates and litigants travelling to the HC in Prayagraj, apart from lakhs of devotees who frequently visit the two cities.The monthly season ticket Banaras–Raja Talab MEMU would be available at Rs 95 for Varanasi City to Raja Talab, he said, mentioning it would provide major relief to local passengers, especially farmers, youth, small traders, women and working professionals.Yogi thanked PM Modi for giving the people of Kashi and nearby areas these facilities before Diwali and Chhath Puja. He said Kashi, the PM’s parliamentary constituency, had witnessed remarkable transformation in rail connectivity, cleanliness and passenger amenities over the past decade.Praising Vaishnav, Yogi said Uttar Pradesh had benefitted from broad gauge conversion, electrification, doubling of lines, modern station facilities and improved train speeds. He said unmanned railway crossings had been replaced with underpasses or overbridges, helping reduce accidents.He added that freight corridors had improved goods movement and created benefits for local businesses. “Indian Railways has moved beyond routine operations and is now combining scale with skill,” Yogi said, noting that modern trains such as Namo Bharat, Vande Bharat and Amrit Bharat reflected the changing face of rail travel in India.Yogi also paid tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on his 151st birth anniversary, saying the Indian Railways was carrying forward the vision of national unity by connecting the country from east to west and north to south.
