PM Modi flags off four new Vande Bharat trains, giving significant boost to UP tourism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated four new Vande Bharat Express trains from Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, on Saturday. He described the event as another important milestone in India’s infrastructure development and tourism growth, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath present.

The four trains — Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi, and Ernakulam-Bengaluru — will enhance connectivity across states and bring religious, cultural, and economic hubs closer. “These trains are made by Indians, for Indians, and every Indian is proud of them,” PM Modi said while addressing a large gathering at the Varanasi railway station.

According to the Prime Minister, infrastructure has always been the backbone of a developing nation, and the success of the Vande Bharat network proves how improved transport links can change lives. “When trains start running, towns begin to develop. The same holds for villages — as soon as roads, bridges, and stations come up, progress follows,” he said.

Highlighting the growing number of Vande Bharat services, Modi said that with the new launches, India now operates over 160 such semi-high-speed trains. He added that the initiative is part of a larger mission to modernise Indian Railways through projects such as Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat.

Modi also linked the expansion of rail connectivity with the revival of Uttar Pradesh’s tourism economy. “Over the past eleven years, the development work done in UP has taken pilgrimage sites like Ayodhya, Prayagraj, and Varanasi to new heights,” he noted. According to official figures cited by the Prime Minister, more than 110 million devotees have visited Ayodhya since the construction of the Ram Temple, and over 60 million have had darshan of Ram Lalla.

“These journeys are not just about temples,” Modi said. “They connect the soul of India — its faith, culture, and development.”

He added that the economic impact of this spiritual tourism has been enormous, benefiting hotels, traders, artisans, and transport workers. “From Banarasi sarees to new startups, opportunities are emerging everywhere. Developed Kashi means developed India,” Modi concluded.