WATCH: PM Narendra Modi flags off Vande Bharat Express train, other developmental projects in Kerala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station in Kerala on Tuesday. Modi arrived at the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station along with Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, CM Pinarayi Vijayan and MP Shashi Tharoor earlier in the morning.

The train will cover 11 districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod.

Other development projects

Apart from the Vande Bharat launch, the PM will also inaugurate several development projects under the Thiruvananthapuram and Palakkad railway divisions.

These include a comprehensive railway development plan focusing on the Kochuveli-Thiruvananthapuram, Nemom railway stations, the declaration of the Nemom Terminal project, the inauguration of a project to elevate the Thiruvananthapuram Central, Varkala-Sivagiri, and Kozhikode railway stations to international standards, and the foundation stone laying of a project to raise the train speed along the Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section to 110 km/hr, among others.

PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. According to Prime Minister's Office (PMO), Digital Science Park is envisaged as a key research facility to develop digital products and services by industry and business units in collaboration with academia.

As a third generation Science Park, the Digital Science Park will house common facilities to support the development of products in the area of Industry 4.0 Technologies like AI, data analytics, cyber security, smart materials etc, said the PMO statement.

The state-of-the-art basic infrastructure will support high-end applied research by industries and the co-development of products in association with the Universities. The initial investment for Phase-1 of the project is around Rs 200 crore while the total project outlay has been estimated at around Rs 1,515 crore.

PM Modi launched India's first water metro

PM Narendra Modi launched 'Kochi Water Metro', India's first water metro, in Kerala today. Water Metro is a unique urban mass transit system with the same experience and ease of travel as the conventional metro system. It is very useful in cities like Kochi.

The world-class Kochi Water Metro is Kerala's dream project, connecting 10 islands in and around Kochi with 78 battery-operated electric hybrid boats and 38 terminals. The project has been instituted at a cost of ₹1,136.83 crore. In the first phase, 34,000 passengers can commute on the water metro.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan posted a video on his Twitter account, terming it as 'dream project' of the state.