Speaking on the sidelines of flagging off the first Vande Bharat Express of Northeast, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday stated that 59 railway stations of the region will be made world-class.

Speaking to ANI, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express of the Northeast from Guwahati tomorrow morning. I pray to Maa Kamakhya so that railways in Northeast develop.”

He further said, “Our motive is to develop the railway in the Northeast and make the Guwahati Railway Station world-class. We aim to make 59 stations of Northeast world-class. Work for projects worth Rs 70,000 crores are to be done in the Northeast."

Ashwini Vaishnaw also stated that Rs 11,000 crores have been allotted for the development projects in the Northeast.

Notably, Northeast India is all set to get its first Vande Bharat Express train, which will operate between New Jalpaiguri Station in West Bengal in Siliguri and Guwahati in Assam.

Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will attend the inaugural function to be held at the Guwahati railway station.

The Vande Bharat Express train, identified by its train numbers Up-22227 and Down-22228, will operate six days a week and cover a distance of approximately 410 kilometers in just six hours. This new semi-high-speed train is expected to significantly cut down the travel time between New Jalpaiguri and Guwahati.