In a proud moment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated a revamped Vadnagar railway station where he used to sell tea during his childhood days. During various public addresses, Prime Minister Modi had mentioned how he used to sell tea during his childhood, sharing his journey from a tea seller to the head of the government.
Talking about Vadnagar, it's located in Gujarat's Mehsana district which is Modi's hometown.
"The needs of 21st Century India can't be fulfilled through the ways of 20th Century. That is why Railways needed reforms through a new approach. We worked to develop Railways not only as a service but as an asset, the result of which can be clearly seen today," the Prime Minister said after inaugurating various projects.
Indian Railways draws a comparison of Vadnagar railway station's old and new look.
Continuing speaking, PM Modi further said, "Horizontal and vertical expansion of Railways is important for development. The new Gandhinagar Station reflects a change in terms of infrastructure. It is proof of optimum utilization of modern technology, also resulting in employment opportunities."
"Today, the image of Indian Railways and its reputation are improving. Safety, speed, cleanliness & facilities -- all have improved in the Railways. The speed of trains will increase after the operationalization of dedicated freight corridors in the coming days," PM Modi added.
Heritage look to Vadnagar Railway Station
Since Vadnagar town falls in the "heritage circuit", the railway station building there has been given a heritage look at a cost of Rs 8.5 crore, said Western Railway's Divisional Railway Manager Dipak Kumar Jha on Thursday.
Modi inaugurates redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station, other developmental projects
Full view of redeveloped Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station. The station is equipped with all modern facilities and many firsts such as a 5-star hotel, multi-faith prayer hall, baby feeding hall, hotel-like lounge, LED lighting and much more.
Apart from the refurbished railway station, PM Modi also inaugurated a host of other projects, including a five-star hotel atop the redeveloped Gandhinagar railway station and some new attractions at Science City in Ahmedabad through video conferencing.
IN PICS | Stunning makeover of Gandhinagar Capital Railway Station
Speaking after inaugurating various projects, PM Modi said, "Science City project is a mix of recreation & creativity. The aquatics gallery is even more interesting; not just country's, but it is one of the top aquariums in Asia."
A bird's eye view of Gujarat Science City.
A view of newly inaugurated Aquatics Gallery in Gujarat.
A view of Robotics Gallery in Gujarat.
During the virtual event, Modi also flagged off new train Gandhinagar-Varetha MEMU train.
ALSO READ | PM Modi shares mesmerising photos of Gujarat Science City, Aquatics Gallery
Vadnagar falls on silk-route
The Vadnagar railway station is one of the major stations which falls on that route. Since it is also part of the heritage circuit, the Ministry of Tourism spent Rs 8.
5 crore to give a heritage look to the existing station building and its entry gate.
Varetha is a small village in Mehsana district and is close to the famous Taranga Hill, a popular tourist as well as religious place. Till now, Mehsana station was connected with Taranga Hill through a meter gauge railway line.
"Since it was not technically feasible to lay a broad gauge line till the Taranga Hill, we converted the gauge till Varetha, situated just 3 kilometers before the Hill.
On Friday, the PM would also inaugurate that 54 kilometers of stretch which has been converted to broad gauge and also electrified" said Jha.
PM Modi's father Damodardas Modi used to run a tea stall at Vadnagar station
PM Modi's father Damodardas Modi had a tea stall inside the Vadnagar railway station. During his younger days, the PM used to help his father sell tea at the station.
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