india

Updated: Jul 07, 2020 14:51 IST

The government’s decision to scrap Article 370 that extended special status to Jammu and Kashmir will help eliminate terrorism and the ideologies that have spawned terror from the state, Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday.

Shah, who formally flagged off a new-look Vande Bharat Express train from national capital Delhi to Katra in Jammu and Kashmir, also spelt out a 10 year target to upgrade Jammu and Kashmir into one of the most developed states in the country. Amit Shah said the new train service was the first step in this direction.

Shah said Vande Bharat Express, the fastest train yet to Jammu that will reduce the travel time between Delhi and Katra from 12 hours to 8, is a gift for J&K’s development and would enhance religious tourism.

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Vande Bharat Express is a big tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s vision on his 150th birth celebrations. “It is a complete product of Make in India project,” Shah said at the flagging off ceremony of the train.

Union railways minister Piyush Goyal also announced the centre plans to begin direct connectivity from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.

“Before August 2022 we will make direct connection from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. This is the fastest train between Delhi and Katra Vaishno Devi and I congratulate the hard work of Railways’ engineers. We have been working on enhancing speed and have been asked the home minister to focus on enhancing the safety of the trains. We will also install CCTVs across our entire network,” Goyal said.

The Vande Bharat Express to Katra will officially begin operations from Saturday, with a minimum fare of Rs 1630 and maximum fare of Rs 3014.

The engine-less self-propelled Vande Bharat Express is also touted to be one India’s fastest train set and is scheduled to operate at a speed of 130 kmph.

“The area for the pantry has been increased, there is wider access area in vestibules, anti-spall film has been provided on window glass to protect against stone pelting, the train also has in-house wifi and infotainment system,” a spokesperson for the ministry of railways said.

This also comes at a time when the tender for manufacturing 40 train sets for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s brainchild was cancelled over allegations of “favoritism” and the decision to issue a fresh tender was taken.

The first train had also had technical and passenger comfort related issues which were noticed in the course of the running of the first Vande Bharat Express.

The order for the newly manufactured rakes of the Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to be completed by 2022 while the tendering for the new trains has been delayed by nearly six months