New Delhi | Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and will not stop till it becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for all sections of society.

The prime minister made these remarks during the virtual flag-off ceremony of three Vande Bharat Express trains.

"Through its hard work over the years, the railways has made big strides in addressing long-standing issues and offered new hopes and solutions. We will not stop until Indian Railways becomes a guarantee of comfortable travel for everyone," Modi said.

The three trains flagged off by the prime minister connect Meerut with Lucknow, Madurai with Bengaluru, and Chennai with Nagercoil.

Modi said faster growth of southern states is key to achieving the goal of a 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047.

He said that an increased budgetary allocation to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka has strengthened rail transport in southern states.

The Meerut City-Lucknow Vande Bharat Express will help passengers save around one hour compared to the current fastest train between the two cities.

Similarly, the Chennai Egmore-Nagercoil Vande Bharat Express and the Madurai-Bengaluru Vande Bharat Express will cut down the travel time by more than two hours and around one-and-a-half hours respectively.