Gandhinagar, Nov 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the under-construction bullet train station in Gujarat’s Surat on Saturday, where he reviewed the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR). He interacted with the engineering and technical team of India’s first bullet train project, took their feedback and also suggested the creation of a ‘blue book’ for documenting innovations and lessons learnt here.

Interacting with a diverse group of managers, technical heads, as well as workers, PM Modi asked them, “What’s your view and own assessment of the Bullet train – are we progressing at the right pace or is it delayed?”

“We are moving at a fast pace and immensely proud to be part of this project,” all opined in a common voice.

A young woman, hailing from Kerala and overseeing the robotics-led noise control department, shared her first-hand experience with the Prime Minister and was also visibly excited over being part of India’s first bullet train project.

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Another woman worker said that being part of the bullet train project was a proud moment for her as well as her family, and she is raring for the moment when this dream turns into reality.

PM Modi sought to energise and enthuse the workers by praising their role as the ‘pioneers’ of India’s high-speed rail connectivity landscape and said that their role and contribution will be remembered by later generations.

Shruti, who supervises the design and engineering control department, told the Prime Minister that all departments, including hers, are proceeding with detailing planning and execution.

“At every step, a detailed presentation and implementation plan is laid down and then during execution phase, we first assess the pros and cons of every initiative and then move ahead,” she explained to the Prime Minister, to which the latter suggested documenting a ‘blue book’ which would record their experiences as ‘lessons’ for the future roadmap of bullet trains in the country.

A worker, summing up the enthusiasm and excitement on PM Modi’s visit to the bullet train under-construction station, said, “Na naam chahiye, na inaam chahiye, bas desh aage badhe, yeh arman chahiye... Modi ji, aapka har sapna saakar ho, desh ka naam uncha rahe... bullet train hai pehchaan hamari... Modi ji, yeh uplabdhi hai aapki aur hamari (We don't want name, we don't want reward, we just want the country to progress ... Modi ji, may all your dreams come true, may the country's name remain high, Bullet train is our identity... Modi ji, this is your and our achievement).”

Notably, the MAHSR is one of India’s most ambitious infrastructure projects, spanning approximately 508 km for seamless and swift connectivity between Gujarat and Maharashtra. The corridor will connect major cities, including Sabarmati, Ahmedabad, Anand, Vadodara, Bharuch, Surat, Bilimora, Vapi, Boisar, Virar, Thane, and Mumbai, marking a transformative step in India’s transportation infrastructure.

(IANS)