With the new government taking charge in Maharashtra, the bullet train project between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will get much-needed impetus, said Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Electronics and Information Technology.
Speaking to media persons at a startup event at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI) near Gandhinagar, Vaishnav said the former Maharashtra government led by Uddhav Thackeray was not interested in the bullet train project, but “hopefully the new government will be interested.” The bullet train to Maharashtra needs to pick up speed as the state is getting the benefit of a double engine government, ”he said, adding that the bullet train in Gujarat is moving at a fast pace.
“We are confident of achieving the target of running India’s first bullet train between Surat and Billimora stations in 2026,” Vaishnav said. Talking about Vande Bharat (VB) trains, Vaishnav said that these trains have proved to be a success, and the Railway Ministry is ready to launch another 250 VB trains in the coming days. “Like iPhones, from time to time, upgraded versions of VB trains will be launched with necessary improvements. About 370 railway stations, including Ahmedabad, will be upgraded to suit the redevelopment of Gandhinagar and Bhopal railway stations.
Commenting on the Digital India initiative, he said that India relies heavily on technology, adding that the Center was promoting startups in key sectors including railways, defense, postal services, etc. Just a decade ago, there were barely 800-900 startups, but now there are 73,000 startups operating successfully across the country, Vaishnav said, adding that “there are currently 103 unicorns in the country.”
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