Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Congress MP Shashi Tharoor were also present with the PM as he interacted with the students inside the train.
At an event at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Modi first flagged off the the CSMT-Solapur Vande Bharat Express and later another semi high-speed train linking the financial capital to Sainagar Shirdi temple town in Ahmednagar district.
'I have actually, for a few years, been trying to do something like this for my country.'
Sources said the railways is keen to ensure that a purely domestic entity bags the tender and once it was felt that the Chinese JV was a frontrunner for the project, it was scrapped.
The dominant theme at this year's ceremonial parade at the Kartavya Path, and other associated celebrations, has been the sesquicentenary of the national song, 'Vande Mataram.'
The incident had happened in Bihar when the Howrah-New Jalpaiguri semi-high-speed train was passing through that state on January 3.
During the first phase of the Vande Bharat mission, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express are scheduled to operate a total 64 flights between May 7 and May 14 to bring 14,800 Indians from 12 countries on a payment basis.
Modi accused previous governments of not providing people with facilities that were available to people elsewhere in the world even in the 20th century and in Gujarat a few years back.
The semi-high speed Train 18, which has been recently rechristened Vande Bharat Express, can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi trains but with better facilities. It aims to provide a totally new travel experience to passengers.
Swarupa Dutt's 10 takeaways on her first time on a Vande Bharat train.
On Thursday, 4 buffaloes were killed after being hit by the train.
The sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram' was the overriding theme of the ceremonial event held at the Vijay Chowk and presided over by President Droupadi Murmu, who arrived at the venue in a traditional buggy to the sound of bugles, adding a ceremonial grace to the occasion.
The train has a lot to offer to its passengers: Silent run, fully-sealed gangway connecting two coaches, GPS-based passenger information system, modular bio-vacuum and disabled-friendly toilets, intelligent air conditioning that adjusts cooling according to the climate and closed-circuit television for safety.
The collision caused a minor dent to the train's front panel.
Though bids for 43 Train 18 sets were invited first, orders for only three were given, including one for Spanish major CAF and Medha Group that supplied for the first Vande Bharat train.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to flag off the train soon, which will ply between Delhi and his Lok Sabha constituency.
Experts suggest that a revamp in the surrounding infrastructure should take care of the issues plaguing the VB-2, stressing that the lightweight nature of the trains is what allows for higher speeds, and that needless design additions may hamper the train's efficiency.
On August 15 last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort that the Indian Railways would launch 75 Vande Bharat Express trains by August 2023. Later, in her 2022 Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that 400 Vande Bharat trains will be manufactured in the next three years, which are expected to cost between Rs 40,000 crore and Rs 50,000 crore. Those upbeat announcements come after a series of cancelled tenders, vigilance actions against officials and interdepartmental rivalry that delayed the addition of these iconic trains developed entirely indigenously by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai.
The Railway Board and employees at Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, makers of the train, are at loggerheads over the proposed transfer of design and reassigning the manufacturing of Train 18 to Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli.
Union Minister JP Nadda accuses the West Bengal government of sheltering infiltrators, leading to demographic changes and hindering development.
Several trains under the purview of SER and ECoR were cancelled or diverted on Wednesday, including the premium Rajdhani Express and Vande Bharat Express, owing to the blockade by members of the Kurmi community in Jharkhand and Odisha, officials said.
November 7 2025, marked the 150th year of India's revered national song, Vande Mataram.
'As it happens in any society, when progress happens, hate also comes out.' 'There is always a bit of a risk and possibility of rejection, particularly by an orthodox section of society.'
Kerala Health Minister Veena George was allegedly attacked during a protest by KSU activists at a railway station in Kannur. Five activists have been arrested and remanded to judicial custody. The FIR states the minister was attacked with a 'weapon' while boarding a train.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'chaiwala' narrative, leading to a sharp response from the BJP.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that singing 'Vande Mataram' will be made compulsory in every school and educational institution of the state.
In a measured but scathing attack, Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of committing a 'big sin' by creating a controversy over Vande Mataram and claimed that the government pushed for a debate on the national song as the West Bengal assembly polls were approaching.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticized the Congress party, alleging that the dropping of important stanzas from the national song 'Vande Mataram' in 1937 sowed the seeds of partition. He made these remarks during the inauguration of the year-long commemoration of 'Vande Mataram'.
Indian Army Builds Bridge in 18 Hours to Rescue Villagers.
There is a minimum requirement of Rs 2.5 trillion capital expenditure every year and it is understood at the highest levels of the government.
The Union Cabinet has reportedly approved the Kerala government's proposal to officially change the state's name to Keralam, following a resolution passed by the Kerala Assembly.
'In culture, patriotism and modernity, the dream of a developed India, you see the pulsating energy of a New India.'
CRRC Pioneer Electric (India) Private Limited, whose bid for the project is a joint venture of the Chinese firm CRRC Corporation Ltd with a Gurugram-based company according to its website, is one of the six contenders for the tender for procuring propulsion systems or electric traction kits for 44 trains to function as the Vande Bharat Express or Train 18.
The Indian Navy has been recognized as the best marching contingent among the armed forces at the Republic Day Parade. Maharashtra won for states/UTs, and the Culture Ministry for ministries/departments.
The upcoming Republic Day Parade will center around the sesquicentenary of 'Vande Mataram,' featuring themed decorations, performances, and special guests.
Indian trains remain the greatest connecters linking hearts to the last mile.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the TMC government in West Bengal of patronizing infiltration, leading to demographic changes and riots. He reassured refugees and promised action against illegal migration if the BJP comes to power.
The United States has described as "discriminatory and restrictive" the Indian government not allowing American carriers operate chartered flights on Indo-US routes even though Air India was doing so under the Vande Bharat Mission.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin announced the party's plan to replicate Assam's 'detect, delete and deport' model to expel alleged Bangladeshi infiltrators in West Bengal if voted to power.
A rail blockade by the Kurmi community in Jharkhand has led to the cancellation, diversion, and short-termination of over 100 passenger trains, leaving thousands stranded. The protesters are demanding Scheduled Tribe status and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the Constitution.
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