PM Modi flags off south India's first Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off Vande Bharat Express train in Bengaluru on Friday. The train is the 5th Vande Bharat Express in the country and the 1st such one to run in south India. It will connect Mysuru, Bengaluru and Chennai cities.

Bengaluru:Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the inaugural special of south India's first Vande Bharat Express at KSR Bengaluru station on Friday. He arrived in Bengaluru earlier in the day to take part in a slew of development programmes. He unveiled the 108 ft bronze statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, founder of the city, and also inaugurated the newly built terminal at Kempegowda International Airport.

The Prime Minister waved green flag to the Chennai-Mysuru Vande Bharat Express at the Kranthiveera Sangolli Rayanna railway station. It is the 5th Vande Bharat Express train in the country and the 1st such one to run in south India. The train will connect Mysuru, Bengaluru and Chennai cities. The PM will unveil the statue of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda. Over 98 tonnes of bronze and 120 tonnes of steel have gone into making this statue sculpted by Ram V Sutar of 'Statue of Unity' fame.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid floral tributes to the statue of saint-poet Kanaka Dasa on the occasion of his birth anniversary. He visited Legislators Home premises, near the Vidhana Soudha, to pay tributes to Kanaka Dasa. He also paid respects to the statue of Maharshi Valmiki, the author of the epic Ramayana, in the vicinity.

PM Modi will also inaugurate the Terminal 2 of Kempegowda International Airport, built at a cost of around Rs 5,000 crore. The terminal will double the airport’s annual capacity to 6 crores passengers from the current capacity of 2.5 crores. Terminal 2 is designed as a tribute to the silicon city. Passengers will travel through more than 10,000 sq m of green walls, hanging and outdoor gardens.

The airport has already achieved sustainability with 100 per cent dependence on renewable energy across the premises. It is going to be the largest terminal in the world and all set to be given the platinum rating by the US Green Building Council prior to commencing operations. The artworks reflect the heritage and culture of Karnataka as well as India.

'Gaurav Kashi Yatra' train from the KSR railway station will also be inaugurated by along with Vande Bharat train by PM Modi. Karnataka is the 1st state to take up this train under the Bharat Gaurav scheme, in which the government and the railways ministry are working together to send pilgrims from Karnataka to Kashi. The pilgrims will be travelling by train, comfortable stay and guidance for visiting holy places of Kashi, Ayodhya and Prayagraj. Modi will leave Bengaluru and head to the Gandhigram Rural Institute in Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, to attend its 36th convocation.

Ahead of the PM's visit, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is busy filling up potholes in the final hours ahead of visit of Modi, who will be in the between 10 AM and 2 PM. Traffic is likely to be hit as police have imposed many restrictions and diversion of roads.