PM Modi to flag off Vande Bharat train, India’s first water metro in Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express train in the state capital Thiruvananthapuram and the country’s first water metro in Kochi on Tuesday.

Vande Bharat, the semi-high-speed train from Thiruvananthapuram to Kasaragod, will cover the distance between the two places in just eight hours which otherwise would take 12-13 hours for transportation.

On its way, the train will cover districts including Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Kannur.

Modi is set to arrive at Thiruvananthapuram railway station around 10.30am. Expressing his “eagerness” to be a part of the programme, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier tweeted, “I am eager to be among the people of Thiruvananthapuram on the 25th. Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express would be flagged off, which will run between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod. 11 districts of Kerala will be covered. It will greatly benefit tourism and commerce.”

Modi will also inaugurate a number of projects, including the country’s first Water Metro in Kerala. Kochi water metro will connect 10 islands, in and around the city. The project, which is funded by the Government of Kerala and the German firm KFW, will act as a game-changer for the state.

“In water metro, we use the most advanced Lithium Titanite Spinel batteries. It is the first time such a large number of electric hybrid boats operate as a fleet under one command in a public sector,” said Sajan P John, general manager (operations) of the Kerala Water Metro Limited.

Apart from Kochi Water Metro, rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section will also be dedicated by Modi. He will also lay the foundation of various rail projects including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section.