PM dedicates Rewari-Madar section of Western Dedicated Freight Corridor to the nation

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the Maha Yagna to modernise the country?s infrastructure had gained new momentum with this launch. He listed the initiatives of the Central Government in the last 12 days to modernise the country like direct benefit transfer (DBT) to farmers, the launch of the National Mobility Card in the Airport Express Line of the Delhi Metro, inauguration of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rajkot, Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Sambalpur, lighthouse projects in six cities, the National Atomic Timescale and Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya, the National Environmental Standards Laboratory, Kochi-Mangalore gas pipeline, the 100th Kisan Rail service and a section of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.

He added these launches during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic was part of the efforts to modernise the country.

The prime minister said the Made in India vaccine for Corona approved a few days ago had instilled a new confidence in the people. He said the Dedicated Freight Corridor was seen as a game-changer for India in the 21st century. He said that since the launch of the New Bhaupur-New Khurja section, the average speed of the freight trains had tripled on that particular section.

He said with the flag-off of the first double-stacked container freight train from New Ateli in Haryana to New Kishanganj in Rajasthan, India had joined the select nations in the world. He lauded the efforts of the engineers and their team for this achievement. He said this dedicated freight corridor will bring new opportunities and new hopes for everyone, especially farmers, entrepreneurs and merchants of Rajasthan.

He said the dedicated freight corridors were not only a route for modern freight trains but will also form the basis of the development of new growth centres and in different cities of the country.

The prime minister said the western freight corridor will make farming and allied business in Haryana and Rajasthan easier and also impart new energy into cities like Mahendragarh, Jaipur, Ajmer and Sikar. The manufacturing units and entrepreneurs of these states will now have access to national and international markets at a much lower cost. Faster and cheaper connectivity to the ports of Gujarat and Maharashtra will boost new investment opportunities in the region.

The prime minister said that the creation of modern infrastructure also gave rise to new systems in life and business by not only speeding up associated works but also powering up several engines of the economy. He added that the corridor not only created employment in the construction sector but also in other sectors like cement, steel and transport. Elaborating upon the benefit of the Dedicated Freight Corridor, the prime minister said, it will cover 133 railway stations across nine states. The multi-model logistic parks, freight terminals, container depots, container terminals and parcel hubs at these stations will benefit the farmers, small industries and large manufacturers, he said.

The prime minister also thanked the people of Japan for their technical and financial support to the project.