Vikas Singh Nav Hindustan Patrika।Foundation Stone/ Dedication of around 6000 railway projects across Indian Railways,PM to flag off 10 new Vande Bharat trains as well as the extension of 4 Vande Bharat Express trains, new trains in new /multi tracking sections through video conferencing, PM to Dedicate to the Nation multiple key sections of Dedicated Freight Corridor project ,Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will Dedicate to the Nation / Lay the Foundation Stone of around 6000 railway projects of more than Rs 85,000 crore on 12th March, 2024 at a function to be held at Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The function will be held at a large scale. i.e., at 764 locations over the nation. The function will be live streamed across 10,000 digital screens at stations.
According to a press release issued by Shri Sumit Thakur – Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, in a major boost to Railway infrastructure and connectivity, Prime Minister will visit DFC’s Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad to lay the foundation stone and dedicate a slew of railway projects worth over Rs. 85,000 crores.
Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Railway Workshops, Loco Sheds, Pit lines/ Coaching Depots; Phaltan – Baramati New line; Electric Traction System upgradation work and dedicate to the Nation two new sections of Dedicated Freight Corridor between New Khurja to Sanehwal (401 Rkm) section of Eastern DFC and New Makarpura to New Gholvad section (244 Rkm) of Western DFC; Western DFC’s Operation Control Center (OCC), Ahmedabad.
Prime Minister will also flag off ten new Vande Bharat trains which also includes WR’s Ahmedabad – Mumbai Central Vande Bharat Express. Prime Minister will also flag off the extension of four Vande Bharat trains, out of which WR’s Ahmedabad-Jamnagar Vande Bharat is being extended till Okha. Further, two new passenger trains between Asansol and Hatia & Tirupati and Kollam stations.
Prime Minister will also flag off freight trains on Dedicated Freight Corridor from various locations – New Khurja Jn., Sahnewal, New Rewari, New Kishangarh, New Gholvad, and New Makarpura.
Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation 50 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras at Railway Stations. These Jan Aushadi Kendras will offer affordable and quality generic medicines to the people. Over Western Railway, PMBJKs have been set up at four stations namely, Ankleshwar, Valsad, Mahesana & Ratlam
Prime Minister will also dedicate 51 Gati Shakti Multi-Modal Cargo Terminals to the Nation. These terminals will promote seamless movement of goods between different modes of transportation. Out of these, seven (7) PM Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals over Western Railway will be dedicated. These include Gatishakti Cargo Terminals at Virochannagar, Becharaji, Wadharwa, Surbari, Liliya Mota, Dahej & Varnama
Prime Minister will dedicate to the Nation 1045 Rkm of Automatic Signalling in 80 sections. This upgrade will enhance safety and efficiency of train operations. Prime Minister will also dedicate to the Nation Digital Controlling of Railway stations at 2646 stations. This will improve operational efficiency and safety of the trains.
Prime Minister will dedicate 35 Rail Coach Restaurants to the nation, which also includes Western Railway’s Rail coach restaurants at Andheri & Borivali. The Rail coach restaurant aims to cater to the needs of passengers and the public apart from generating non-fare revenue for railways.
Prime Minister will dedicate more than 1500 One Station One Product Stalls to the nation spread across the country, out of which 89 One Station One Product Stalls are in WR, including 34 Mumbai suburban stations. These stalls will promote local products and generate income for local artisans and businesses. More than 6 lakhs Vishwakarmas like Carpenters, Goldsmiths, Blacksmiths, Washer men, Tailor etc. will directly connect to PM through this function.
Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation Solar Powered Stations/buildings at 975 locations. This initiative will contribute to India’s renewable energy goals and reduce the railways’ carbon footprint.
Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation 229 Goods Sheds, out of which six (6) Goods sheds are over Western Railway. These include Goods Sheds at Udhna, Asarva, Naroda, Radhanpur, Dhosawas & Nimach. New Traffic will be added through Setting up New Good Sheds. IR has achieved 1476 million tonnes in loading till now which is 70 million tonnes more than previous period. Last financial year, WR became the first non – coal belt Zonal Railway to enter the 100 million tonnes club by achieving total loading of more than 108 million tonnes. This year too, WR is inching towards crossing the 100 million tonnes freight loading.
Various other projects like dedication of newly electrified sections, doubling/multi-tracking of tracks, developments of railways Goods sheds, Workshops, Loco Sheds, Pit lines/Coaching Depots, among others, will also be done by the Prime Minister during the programme. These projects are a testament to the Government’s dedication to building a modern and robust railway network. This investment will not only improve connectivity but also boost economic growth and create new employment opportunities.
