On a two-day Kerala visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lowered the flag for Kerala’s first Vande Bharat Express train in Thiruvananthapuram today. The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Kochi Water Metro, a one-of-a-kind project linking 10 islands by electric-hybrid boats.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and MP Shashi Tharoor were also present when the Prime Minister interacted with the students inside the train.

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

The train has been touted by many as an alternative to the SilverLine, an ambitious semi-high-speed rail corridor by the ruling left-wing Democratic Front government.

PM Modi has also launched several other projects in Kerala, including Kochi Water Metro, a one-of-a-kind project linking 10 islands around Kochi via battery-powered electric-hybrid boats seamlessly connected to the city.

The one-of-a-kind Kochi Water Metro project will provide safe, affordable and portable travel for people in and around Cochin and boost tourism. In the first phase, the floating metro will carry eight electric hybrid boats on two routes; High Court to Vypin and Vyttila to Kakkanad. The single journey ticket price from High Court to Vypin route is Rs 20. The fare for the Vyttila to Kakkanad route is Rs 30.

At a rally in Thiruvananthapuram, Prime Minister Modi said the central government emphasised cooperative federalism. “If Kerala develops, India will develop faster,” he said.

Prime Minister Modi is visiting southern states as part of the BJP’s massive minority outreach programme, which has elicited a positive response from some priests of different Christian denominations.

BJP believes that Prime Minister Modi’s visit will boost their ongoing campaign and kick-start the party’s campaign for the general election.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister held a massive roadshow in Kochi that differed significantly from his other roadshows.

Days after a letter threatening a suicide bombing against him put Kerala police and central agencies on alert, Prime Minister Modi exited his car and started the roadshow on foot.