New cities being built in country as per global business demand: PM Modi

The prime minister was addressing a gathering in Ahmedabad after flagging off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express train and inaugurating phase-1 of the Ahmedabad metro rail project.

Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said new cities are being built in the country as per global business demand with focus on improving and expanding old cities. India of the 21st century will get a new momentum from the cities in the country, he said while stressing the need to develop twin cities. Calling speed an important factor in development, Modi said the system of transport should be modern with seamless connectivity.

The prime minister was addressing a gathering in Ahmedabad after flagging off the Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express train and inaugurating phase-1 of the Ahmedabad metro rail project. "India of the 21st century will be getting a new momentum from the cities of the country. With the changing times, it is necessary to continuously modernise our cities with the changing needs," he said. "The system of transport in the city should be modern, there should be seamless connectivity. One mode of transport should support the other. This is necessary," Modi said.

India considers speed as important for development and this is reflected in the Gati Shakti National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity, he added. Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad is an excellent example of how twin cities are developed. Base for the development of many twin cities in Gujarat is being prepared. So far, we have heard of New York-New Jersey as twin cities. India cannot lag behind. You can see the model of Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar developing as twin cities, he said.

Modi said that with the Vande Bharat Express train that he launched from Gandhinagar Capital railway station, the travel time between Ahmedabad and Mumbai will reduce from eight to five-and-a-half hours. "Even Shatabdi trains take between six and seven hours. But the Vande Bharat train will reach from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in five-and-a-half hours. Gradually, more improvements will be done in it," he said. (PTI)