Vande Bharat trains are not only providing high-speed rail connections between economic centers in India, but they are also connecting major pilgrimage sites. Among the 13 operational Vande Bharat Express routes, four crucial routes connect some of India’s most revered pilgrimage sites, including rail routes to the pilgrimage sites of Varanasi in UP, Shirdi in Maharashtra, Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu, and Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh. The newly launched Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express is the second Vande Bharat train to be started from Telangana within a short span of three months, and it will reduce travel time between the two cities by almost three and a half hours, providing particular benefit for pilgrim passengers. Additionally, the article notes that the Narendra Modi government has launched several road projects to ensure hassle-free journeys for pilgrims visiting some of the most sacred sites in the South. Improved connectivity benefits the pilgrims and helps local economies by boosting trade, creating jobs, and promoting growth, and it also provides necessary support to industries like hospitality, handicrafts, and food services.
Improved connectivity to pilgrimage sites through initiatives like the Vande Bharat Express trains can bring in more tourists, which in turn can help local economies by generating employment opportunities and promoting local businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and handicraft shops. This can lead to overall growth and development of the region.
