Lok Sabha 2024: “I started my life on railway tracks, so I know how bad our railways were earlier,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event in Ahmedabad, where he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of a slew of railway projects on Tuesday.
The prime minister criticized the previous governments for “prioritizing political selfishness,” which, he said, resulted in the railways becoming a victim.
PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of railway projects worth ₹85,000 crore, which included the launch of 10 new Vande Bharat trains. These projects were launched from the Sabarmati area following the prime minister’s visit to the Dedicated Freight Corridor’s (DFC) Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad.
Among the projects initiated by the prime minister were railway workshops, loco sheds, pit lines/coaching depots, the Phaltan-Baramati new line, electric traction system upgradation work, and the dedication of two new sections of the Dedicated Freight Corridor: the New Khurja to Sahnewal (401 Rkm) section of the eastern DFC and the New Makarpura to New Gholvad section (244 Rkm) of the western DFC. Additionally, PM Modi inaugurated the western DFC’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) in Ahmedabad.
हमारी सरकार के 10 साल के काम से ये साफ हो जाता है कि हम भारतीय रेल और देश को कितना आगे ले जाने वाले हैं। pic.twitter.com/odoBjqs7G1
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 12, 2024
Modi emphasized the significance of the railway projects for the youth, stating that the inaugurated projects ensure a brighter present and future for them. He criticized previous governments for prioritizing political selfishness over railway development post-Independence, highlighting his government’s inclusion of Railways in the Government Budget to ensure adequate funding for its development.
Highlighting the importance of railways in national development, Modi drew parallels with global economic powers, stressing that railways have historically played a crucial role in the development of developed and economically robust nations. He reiterated that the development of railways is a guarantee of a developed India.
The prime minister credited recent reforms for driving the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat‘, illustrating the scale of progress achieved in a short span. The PM said that in the last 10 years, his government spent around six times more amount for the development of railways than was done earlier.
“In just over two months of 2024, we have inaugurated and laid the foundation of ₹11 lakh crore projects,” he said.
“I started my life on railway tracks, so I know how bad our railways were earlier,” he said.