New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday virtually flagged off first semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train between Uttarakhand's capital Dehradun and national capital Delhi.

The prime minister said the new service will connect the national capital with Devbhoomi, as Uttarakhand is often referred to for its large number of pilgrimage sites, at a faster speed.

He also dedicated to the nation, newly electrified rail sections in Uttarakhand.

With this, the state’s entire rail route will be electrified.

This is also the first Vande Bharat that has been introduced in Uttarakhand with world-class amenities.

The train has been indigenously built and is equipped with advanced safety features including the Kavach technology.

The new Vande Bharat Express will cover the distance between Dehradun to Delhi in 4.5 hours.

Inaugurating the Vande Bharat Express train, PM Modi congratulated the people of Uttarakhand and said it will contribute well to the tourism sector of the state and the travel time between the Delhi and Dehradun cities will be further reduced.

Speaking about his recent international tours, the Prime Minister said the world is looking at India with high hopes.

“India has emerged as a ray of hope for the world when it comes to strengthening the economy and fighting poverty,” the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that beautiful states like Uttarakhand should make the most of today's situation when people from around the world want to come to India.

Modi also underlined that the Vande Bharat train is also going to help Uttarakhand in taking full advantage of this opportunity.

The Prime Minister also recalled his visit to Kedarnath and said, “This decade is going to be the decade of Uttarakhand. This train will be extremely helpful for crores of devotees who travel to Kedarnath every year," he said.

The Prime Minister informed that only one-third of the country's rail network had been electrified by 2014, which was an impediment to operating fast-running trains.

“The all-around work to transform the railways began after 2014," the Prime Minister added.

The Prime Minister informed that 600 km of rail lines were electrified every year on an average before 2014 whereas 6,000 km of railway lines are being electrified every year today.

“Today, more than 90 percent of the country's railway network has been electrified. In Uttarakhand, 100 percent electrification of the entire rail network has been achieved,” the Prime Minister said.

(With UNI inputs)