Vadodara, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a warm welcome from thousands of people, particularly young attendees, at the ‘NaMo for Viksit Bharat’ programme in Vadodara on Tuesday, where he is set to inaugurate, dedicate and lay foundation stones for development projects worth more than Rs 35,000 crore.
Modi arrived in Vadodara as part of his Gujarat and Maharashtra visit, with the programme focused on major rail, road, urban development and renewable energy projects.
A major highlight of the event is the dedication of three sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC), covering 326 route kilometres and developed at a cost of more than Rs 20,700 crore.
The sections — Sanand (North)-Makarpura, New Umbergaon-New Saphale and New Saphale-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) — complete the WDFC across its entire length. The corridor will provide direct freight connectivity to JNPA, facilitating cargo movement between industrial centres and the port while reducing transit time and logistics costs and easing congestion on Mumbai’s railway network.
Modi will also flag off freight train services from New Sanand (North), New Makarpura, New Umbergaon and New JNPT in Mumbai.
A new passenger train service between Vadodara and Tanda Road will also be flagged off, benefiting commuters in Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Alirajpur districts. The Prime Minister will also dedicate the Jobat-Tanda Road railway line, developed under the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project, to connect remote and tribal areas of Alirajpur with the national rail network.
Foundation stones will be laid for three railway projects covering 329 km and costing more than Rs 9,700 crore. These include the third and fourth lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, gauge conversion of the Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar section and doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi section.
Three National Highway projects worth around Rs 1,780 crore are also part of the programme. They include six-laning of the Kamrej-Chalthan section of NH-48, additional structures including major bridges over the Tapi and Narmada on the Vadodara-Surat stretch of NH-48, and grade-separated structures at Abhava, Mindhola and Khajod junctions on NH-53. Six-lane flyovers at Kandari Chokdi and Luvara Patia will also be inaugurated.
State government projects worth around Rs 2,600 crore include Phase II of the Vadodara Urban Development Authority Ring Road, a 110 MW floating solar project at Kadana Dam and a new Vadodara Municipal Corporation office. Housing projects under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and a water-supply project covering 11 villages in eastern Vadodara are also among the projects being inaugurated.
Ahead of the programme, free registration was opened through BookMyShow, with the Vadodara Municipal Corporation handling registrations on the platform. Organisers said all available seats were booked within an hour, while more than 42,000 additional applicants were placed on the waiting list.
A digital entry system is being used at the venue, with registered participants receiving M-Tickets containing secure live QR codes for verification. Registration, verification, entry and seating are being managed digitally to facilitate crowd movement.
After Vadodara, Modi is scheduled to travel to Mumbai, where he will inaugurate the Global Fintech Fest 2026 in the evening.
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