The Centre plans to roll out 4,500 Vande Bharat Express trains by 2047, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said.

Briefing the media on Friday (8 December), Scindia said Indian Railways would be net-zero-carbon compliant.

Referring to the Chenab Bridge, the Minister said the world’s highest railway bridge is being built in Jammu and Kashmir.

Currently, 23 Vande Bharat trains are running in the country and the mission is to run 4,500 Vande Bharat trains by 2047, said Scindia, adding that the bullet train would be operational in the next three years.

When it was pointed out that the work in the Maharashtra section has not been started yet, Scindia said it would be operational in the Gujarat section.

Highlighting the fact that the Railways received maximum budgetary support during the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule, he said the rail budget in 2013-14 was Rs 29,000 crore and now it is Rs 2.40 lakh crore, an increase of “nine times in nine years.”

The government is also working towards curbing carbon emissions from trains. Indian Railways is expected to be net-zero compliant in coming years.

He underlined the fact that infrastructure received special focus after 2014, saying that a new phase ‍started in 2014, while before that, there was a lack of vision and leadership in the country.

The Minister said PM Gatishakti 2021 has brought ministries, including Railways and Roadways, together for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.

He said a Rs 10 lakh crore capital expenditure project is underway.

Scindia said Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the most neglected parts of the country, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeastern states, as focus centres of development of the country.

To a query, the Minister said he is monitoring the progress of the Ayodhya airport on a daily basis and that the airport will be fully ready by the end of this month. Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate it.

On new lines, Scindia said around 14,985 km of tracks were laid between 2004 and 2014, while the NDA government has laid 25,871 km of tracks.