65 years after Nehru, Modi to inaugurate East India's first Vande Bharat Express train

On December 12, 1957, the first electric train of the state ran from Howrah station. Enthusiastic people gathered at different stations of the electric train route. On that day, Nehru travelled to Sheoraphuli on the first electric train from Howrah station. He was accompanied by the then Railway Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and the then Chief Minister of the state Bidhan Chandra Roy.

Howrah:History is going to repeat itself on Friday at the iconic Howrah Station as on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate East India's first fully indigenously developed semi-high-speed Vande Bharat Express train. Exactly 65 winters ago, then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the state's first electric train from the same station.

On December 12, 1957, the first electric train of the state ran from Howrah station. Enthusiastic people gathered at different stations of the electric train route. On that day, Nehru travelled to Sheoraphuli on the first electric train from Howrah station. He was accompanied by the then Railway Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram and the then Chief Minister of the state Bidhan Chandra Roy.

The electric train reached its destination about 11 minutes faster than the conventional steam engine train. Although the first railway journey in the country was started in subjugated India, on February 3, 1925, the electric train ran from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) to Kurla Harbour.

Now, Narendra Modi is about to add a new feather to the crown of Indian Railways by setting foot at Howrah station and waving the green flag. Modi will start the first journey of the Vande Bharat Express on Friday. The country's fastest train will run between Howrah and New Jalpaiguri stations.