Vadodara, September 8, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday contrasted the expansion of India’s railway infrastructure since 2014 with what he described as the slower pace of project delivery under the previous United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-led Congress government, saying the country is now adding trains, coaches and freight capacity at a much faster rate.
Addressing the ‘NaMo 4 Viksit Bharat’ programme in Vadodara, PM Modi said earlier governments would announce one or two new trains in the Railway Budget and then spend the rest of the year publicising those announcements.
“Today, one new train after another is being introduced throughout the year,” he said.
He highlighted several new railway services launched during the programme, including a passenger service between Vadodara and Tanda Road, which is expected to benefit passengers from Vadodara, Chhota Udepur and Alirajpur.
The Jobat-Tanda Road railway line, part of the Chhota Udepur-Dhar project, was also dedicated to the nation.
PM Modi also highlighted the expansion of railway manufacturing since 2014. “Since 2014, India has made around 50,000 modern railway coaches,” he said.
Comparing the figure with the previous UPA government, he said: “The previous government could not build 50,000 toilets in 10 years.”
He also pointed to the addition of nearly 2.5 lakh freight wagons to Indian Railways since 2014, presenting the figures as evidence of increased domestic railway manufacturing capacity.
The remarks came as the Prime Minister inaugurated and launched a broad package of transport infrastructure projects in Vadodara, including the completion of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.
PM Modi said the railway budget for the current year had crossed Rs 2.75 lakh crore, describing it as several times higher than the allocation around 12 years ago.
He said increased infrastructure spending creates employment during construction and generates further economic activity once roads, railway lines, ports and other facilities become operational.
“When a road, railway, pipeline, port or airport is built, new industries begin to come up around it and new businesses arrive,” he said.
The Prime Minister also cited Vadodara’s industrial evolution while highlighting the country’s manufacturing expansion. He said the city had moved from textile and tile production to becoming an industrial centre associated with oil and petrochemicals and, more recently, a major hub for micro, small and medium enterprises.
PM Modi also referred to the C-295 military transport aircraft manufacturing programme in Vadodara, saying the city is now associated with the country’s first “Made in India” military transport aircraft.
As part of the infrastructure package, foundation stones were laid for three railway projects covering 329 km at a combined cost of more than Rs 9,700 crore. These include the third and fourth railway lines between Vadodara and Ratlam, gauge conversion of the Miyagam Karjan-Choranda-Malsar section and doubling of the Vishwamitri-Dabhoi line.
The Prime Minister linked railway manufacturing, including the production of coaches, locomotives and wagons, with the expansion of India’s broader domestic manufacturing base and employment opportunities.
His remarks also came against the backdrop of the full operationalisation of the Dedicated Freight Corridor network, nearly two decades after the freight corridor project was first conceived.
The final sections of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor dedicated in Vadodara cover 326 km and have been completed at a cost of more than Rs 20,700 crore.
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