In his second visit to Gujarat in 20 days, prime minister Narendra Modi  laid the foundation and dedicated railway projects worth over ₹85,000 cr in Ahmedabad.

At around 9 a.m. this morning, PM Modi  visited the Operation Control Centre of the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) in Ahmedabad and flagged off 10 new Vande Bharat trains.

Where will the new Vande Bharat trains run?

1. Ahmedabad - Mumbai Central

2. Secunderabad - Visakhapatnam

3. Mysore - Chennai

4. Patna - Lucknow

5. New Jalpaiguri - Patna

6. Puri - Visakhapatnam

7. Lucknow - Dehradun

8. Kalaburagi - Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal Bangalore

9. Ranchi - Varanasi

10. Khajuraho - Delhi (Nizamuddin)

Kochrab Ashram revamp

At around 10 a.m., PM visited Kochrab Ashram in Ahmedabad and attended a programme to mark the inauguration of the redeveloped Kochrab Ashram. Currently, he is addressing a gathering at the Ashram.

"I urge the Gujarat government and the Amdavad Municipal Corporation (AMC) to set up a tourist guide competition among school or college students in the heritage city of Ahmedabad," said Modi.

"We will see who is the best guide who can serve as the guide of Sabarmati Ashram after winning the 'best guide' competition."

Extension of four Vande Bharat

Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat is being extended till Dwarka, Ajmer-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Vande Bharat is being extended till Chandigarh, Gorakhpur-Lucknow Vande Bharat is being extended till Prayagraj and Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod Vande Bharat is being extended till Mangaluru; and two new passenger trains between Asansol and Hatia & Tirupati and Kollam stations.

The PM also flagged off freight trains on the Dedicated Freight Corridor from various locations -- New Khurja Jn., Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholvad, and New Makarpura.

Besides, he will dedicate to the nation as many as 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at Railway Stations.

These Jan Aushadi Kendras will offer affordable and quality generic medicines to the people.

Different tracks for goods trains

He will also dedicate 51 Gati Shakti Multimodal Cargo Terminals to the nation.

These terminals will promote seamless movement of goods between different modes of transportation.

PM Modi has dedicated to the nation a 1,045 km stretch of Automatic Signalling in 80 sections.

This upgrade will enhance safety and efficiency of train operations.

Digital control of railway stations at 2,646 stations has been flagged off. This will improve operational efficiency and safety of the trains.

Besides, he will dedicate 35 rail coach restaurants and more than 1,500 One Station One Product Stalls to the nation, spread across the country.

These stalls will promote local products and generate income for local artisans and businesses.

975 locations are set to get solar powered stations/buildings.

This initiative will contribute to India’s renewable energy goals and reduce the railways’ carbon footprint.

Kochrab Ashram redevelopment

It was the first Ashram established by Mahatma Gandhi after coming to India from South Africa in 1915.

It is still preserved as a memorial and tourist space by Gujarat Vidyapeeth.

The prime minister will also launch the master plan of the Gandhi Ashram Memorial.

Under this Masterplan, the existing five-acre area of the Ashram will be expanded to 55 acres.

Thirty-six existing buildings shall undergo restoration, out of which, 20 buildings including ‘Hriday Kunj’, which served as Mahatma Gandhi’s residence, will be conserved, 13 will undergo restoration, and 3 will be reproduced.

The masterplan includes new buildings to house administration facilities, visitor facilities like orientation centres, interactive workshops on charkha spinning, handmade paper, cotton weaving and leatherwork and public utilities.

The buildings will house interactive exhibits and activities to showcase aspects of Mahatma Gandhi's life as well as the legacy of the Ashram.

It also envisages the creation of a library and archives building to preserve, protect and disseminate Mahatma Gandhi’s ideas.

It will also create facilities for visiting scholars to use the Ashram’s library and archives.

The project will also enable the creation of an interpretation centre that can guide visitors with different expectations and in multiple languages, making their experience culturally and intellectually more stimulating and enriching.

The Memorial will serve as an inspiration for future generations, fostering Gandhian thoughts and will enliven the essence of Gandhian values, through a process informed by principles of Trusteeship, an official said.

(With inputs from IANS)

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