Varanasi’s upcoming Ganga bridge to be named Namo Bridge

The upcoming bridge over the Ganga in Varanasi will be named Namo Bridge, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Saturday after inspecting the construction work and reviewing the development of Kashi railway station as a model station.

Vaishnaw inspected the projects ahead of a programme at Banaras railway station, where he and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will flag off a new Vande Bharat sleeper train service between Varanasi and New Delhi.

The trans-Ganga bridge is being constructed next to Namo Ghat at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore. The project envisages a six-lane highway on the upper deck and four railway tracks below it.

The proposed high-speed rail connectivity is expected to significantly reduce travel time on the route, which currently takes several hours by conventional trains.

Speaking to ANI, Vaishnaw said the bullet train project is part of the Northern Corridor, which has been approved PM Modi, and would benefit the country for decades and up to a century.

“With the bullet train, travel times will be significantly reduced: Delhi to Kanpur in 1 hour 45 minutes; Delhi to Agra in 59 minutes; Delhi to Lucknow in 2 hours 12 minutes; Varanasi to Lucknow in 1 hour 21 minutes; Varanasi to Patna in 1 hour; Varanasi to Delhi in 3 hours 33 minutes; Varanasi to Prayagraj in 33 minutes; and Varanasi to Agra in 2 hours 34 minutes,” Vaishnaw said.

“This crucial Northern Corridor will drive a complete transformation in the coming years, offering immense convenience to our middle-class families, the underprivileged, the youth, small-scale entrepreneurs, and the MSME sector,” he added.