Railways Transformed: Vaishnaw Highlights Decade of Progress Under Modi Government

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 18th May. Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw presented an impressive array of data highlighting the transformative changes in Indian Railways over the past decade under the Modi government, contrasting it with the neglect during Congress-led regimes. Speaking at the Viksit Bharat Ambassador event, Vaishnaw detailed the extensive developments in the railway sector, capturing the audience’s attention with his comprehensive presentation.

He emphasized that the Indian Railways, previously treated as a “milch cow” by earlier governments, has seen unprecedented development. “Today, a 4 km rail track per day is being built in the country. In the last financial year alone, we built a 5,300 km rail network, equivalent to Switzerland’s entire train network. In the past 10 years, 31,000 km of railway track was added, matching Germany’s entire network,” the Minister stated.

Vaishnaw also highlighted the significant progress in electrification and modernisation. “In the past 10 years, 44,000 km of railway networks were electrified, compared to 20,000 km in the 60 years of Congress governance. We are heading towards 100 percent electrification in the Indian Railways,” he added.

He criticized the previous governments for neglecting the Railways, noting that essential conversions from meter gauge to broad gauge were delayed until the NDA government took charge. The Minister also discussed the ongoing renovation of over 300 railway stations nationwide, including 120 stations in Maharashtra, with Shivaji Maharaj railway station being a model of state-of-the-art design.

Vaishnaw underscored the importance of the Vande Bharat and Bullet trains, which reflect the Modi government’s dedication to transforming the Railways into a key growth engine. The Bullet train project, connecting eight cities between Maharashtra and Gujarat, is expected to drive regional development, while the indigenous Vande Bharat trains are set to revolutionize domestic travel.

He further elaborated on the ambitious Vande Metro program, included in the Modi government’s first 100-day agenda for its third term. “Vande Metro, Vande Chair Car, and Vande Sleeper trains will significantly enhance travel comfort and eliminate waiting tickets,” the Minister said.

In addition to railway developments, Vaishnaw highlighted India’s emerging leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and telecom services. He pointed out a dramatic shift in mobile phone manufacturing, with India now producing 99 percent of its mobile phones domestically, compared to 98 percent imports a decade ago. “Apple exported phones worth ₹8,500 crore in April alone, demonstrating the exponential growth in this sector,” he noted.

The Minister concluded by sharing a success story of a young girl from Bihar, working at a mobile manufacturing unit, who symbolized the new opportunities and recognition available to Indian youth today. “Youngsters are re-writing India’s growth story,” he said, leaving the audience at Viksit Bharat inspired by the transformative journey of Indian Railways and the broader technological advancements under the Modi government.