Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off eight trains connecting different regions of the country to Kevadiya in Gujarat via video conferencing at 11am on Sunday. Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and Union railways minister Piyush Goyal will also take part in the online ceremony.
The trains are being inaugurated to boost tourism in the tribal region and facilitate connectivity to the world's tallest statue, the Statue of Unity, which the PM inaugurated in October 2018 on the occasion of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's 143rd birth anniversary.
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These trains will connect Kevadiya to Varanasi, Dadar, Ahmedabad, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Rewa, Chennai and Pratapnagar.
The Ahmedabad-Kevadiya Jan Shatabdi Express, one of the eight trains, has been equipped with the 'Vista-dome tourist coach', the Railway ministry said. These coaches offer large viewing areas with rooftop glasses and seats for passengers.
According to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), PM Modi will also inaugurate the Dabhoi – Chandod Gauge converted Broad Gauge railway line, Chandod – Kevadiya new Broad Gauge railway line, newly electrified Pratapnagar – Kevadiya section and the new station buildings of Dabhoi, Chandod and Kevadiya. He will also launch a new broad-gauge line and the new station buildings of Dabhoi, Chandod and Kevadiya.
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{{/usCountry}}"These buildings have been designed aesthetically incorporating local features and modern passenger amenities. Kevadiya station is India's first railway station with a Green Building Certification," the PMO said.
"The projects will add fillip to the development activities in the nearby tribal regions, boost connectivity to important religious and ancient pilgrim places nestled on the banks of River Narmada, increase both domestic and international tourism, act as a catalyst for overall socio-economic development of the region while also helping generate new employment and business opportunities," it added.