PM Narendra Modi to flag off Bhopal-new Delhi Vande Bharat Express on April 1

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the Combined Commanders' Conference on April 1 and kick off the Bhopal-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express train at Rani Kamalapati station in this city.

The news comes amid the reports of the Vande Bharat train to be deployed on the Jaipur-New Delhi, New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati route and Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla route.

The Vande Bharat Express train between Bhopal and the national capital will cover 708 km distance in 7.45 hours, he said. 

The prime minister will also take part in the Combined Commanders' Conference of the three forces on the same day.

Heads of three armed forces, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will also participate in the event.

The conference will be held from March 30 to April 1, Chouhan said. The defence minister will arrive in the state on March 30 to take part in the conference, he added.

Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is currently ruling, will be held by the end of this year.