Nov 11, 2022: On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated South India’s first Vande Bharat express train at Bangalore’s Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna (KSR) railway station. This is the fifth Vande Bharat express train in the country and the first in South India.
Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Coal Pralhad Joshi, and Karnataka Governor Thaawar Chand Gehlot accompanied PM Modi.
According to a press statement from the PMO, “It will enhance connectivity between the industrial hub of Chennai and the Tech and Startup hub of Bengaluru and the famous tourist city of Mysuru.”
At the KSR railway station, PM Modi also flagged off the Bharat Gaurav Kashi Darshan Train.
Karnataka is the first state to take advantage of this train as part of the Bharat Gaurav scheme, in which the state government and the Ministry of Railways work collaboratively to transport pilgrims from Karnataka to Kashi. During the eight-day journey, ancient Indian cities such as Varanasi, Prayagraj, and Ayodhya will be covered.
“The pilgrims will be provided with comfortable stay and guidance for visiting Kashi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj,” the PMO said.
Prior to the flag-off ceremony, the Prime Minister paid floral tributes to the statues of saint poet Kanakadasa and Maharshi Valmiki at Bengaluru’s Vidhana Soudha.
Later that same day, PM Modi inaugurated the Terminal 2 of Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. He plans to unveil a 108-foot bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda at the airport at noon. The Prime Minister will attend the 36th Convocation ceremony of Gandhigram Rural Institute in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, at around 3:30 p.m.
