Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh): Amid the festive atmosphere in Ayodhya and the excitement surrounding the consecration of the grand Ram Temple on January 22 next year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to arrive in the temple town on Saturday to launch Amrit Bharat and Vande Bharat trains, among other significant projects.
The newly arrived trains are poised for inauguration at the Ayodhya Cantonment Railway station by PM Modi. Two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat trains will be flagged off from the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station during his visit.
Amrit Bharat, a new category of superfast passenger trains featuring the LHB push-pull feature, is equipped with non-air-conditioned coaches. The train boasts locos at both ends for enhanced acceleration and provides improved facilities for passengers, including well-designed seats, better luggage racks, mobile charging points with suitable mobile holders, LED lights, CCTV, and a public information system, among others.
The newly introduced Amrit Bharat trains include Darbhanga-Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Amrit Bharat Express and Malda Town-Sir M. Visvesvaraya Terminus (Bengaluru) Amrit Bharat Express.
The flagged-off Vande Bharat trains encompass Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express; Amritsar-Delhi Vande Bharat Express; Coimbatore-Bangalore Cantt Vande Bharat Express; Mangalore-Madgaon Vande Bharat Express; Jalna-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express; and Ayodhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Vande Bharat Express.
PM Modi will also dedicate three railway projects worth ₹2300 crore to strengthen rail infrastructure in the region. These projects include the Rooma Chakeri-Chanderi third line project; the Jaunpur-Tulsi Nagar, Akbarpur-Ayodhya, Sohawal-Patranga, and Safdarganj-Rasauli sections of the Jaunpur-Ayodhya-Barabanki doubling project; and the doubling and electrification project of the Malhaur-Daliganj railway section.
The inauguration of Phase I of the redeveloped Ayodhya Railway Station, known as Ayodhya Dham Junction Railway Station, is also on the agenda. Developed at a cost of over ₹240 crores, the three-storey railway station building is equipped with modern features such as lifts, escalators, food plazas, shops for puja needs, cloakrooms, child care rooms, and waiting halls. The station is designed to be ‘accessible for all’ and will be an ‘IGBC-certified green station building.’
Furthermore, PM Modi will inaugurate the newly built Ayodhya Airport, named Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham. Developed at a cost of over ₹1450 crore, Phase 1 of the state-of-the-art airport features a terminal building with an area of 6,500 square meters, capable of serving approximately 10 lakh passengers annually.
The terminal building is adorned with temple architecture inspired by the upcoming Shri Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. Sustainability features, including an insulated roofing system, LED lighting, rainwater harvesting, landscaping with fountains, a water treatment plant, a sewage treatment plant, a solar power plant, and more, have been incorporated to achieve GRIHA 5-star ratings.
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