Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said that he was “delighted” that Kerala is getting its first Vande Bharat Express train, and asserted “progress must be beyond politics”.
He mentioned that he had suggested Vande Bharat trains in February last year, and complimented Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the step.
“Recalling my tweets of fourteen months ago suggesting #VandeBharat trains for Kerala. Delighted that @AshwiniVaishnaw has done just that. Looking forward to attending @narendramodi’s flagging off of the first train from Thiruvananthapuram on 25th. Progress must be beyond politics,” the Thiruvananthapuram MP said in a tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first semi high-speed train, Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur Vande Bharat Express, on April 25 in the state’s capital during his Kerala visit.
Vaishnaw said that the train, which was initially planned to run between Thiruvananthapuram and Kannur, will also cover Kasaragod. The decision was taken following a request from union minister of state V Muraleedharan, the railway minister said.
He also said that the Railways is going to upgrade the tracks in the southern state in two phases. Under Phase 1, Rs 381 crore has been sanctioned for converting the entire track from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram to a speed potential of 110 kmph, reported PTI.
This will be done in a time span of one and a half years.
The second phase, which will involve straightening turns and other adjustments, will take two to three years, and post this the speed potential of the track will be increased to 130 kmph.
He added that as of now only one Vande Bharat Express train has been allotted to Kerala, and more will follow in future.