New Delhi, April 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Kerala’s first Vande Bharat train in Thiruvananthapuram and also launched India’s first Water Metro in Kochi on Tuesday.
The PM is on a two-day visit to Kerala, where he reached Thiruvananthapuram early in the morning and then flagged off the state’s first Vande Bharat train, which will cover the distance between Thiruvantnanpuram and Kasargod, from the Thiruvananthapuram central station, platform number 1, where he interacted with the group of school students while taking the ride in the coaches of the train.
As per the prime minister’s office, the Vande Bharat train will cover 11 districts, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasargod. “The main motive behind building this train is to enhance the connectivity of the states,” said the PM.
Afterward, he went to Kochi, where he launched India’s first water metro. According to the PMO, the new water metro project will provide safe, affordable, and friendly travel to the people of Kochi and others, as well as help boost tourism activity in the states.
The water metro train will work with the eight electric hybrid boats, which will cover the two routes: one is High Court to Vypin and the other is Vyttila to Kakkanad. The ticket to travel on this water train will cost Rs. 20 from the High Court to Vypin and Rs. 30 from Vyttila to Kakkanad.
The chief minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, and the MP Shashi Tharoor were present at the inauguration ceremony. Not only this but during his visit to Kerala, the PM laid the foundation stone for the many development projects in the state.