New Delhi: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on December 26 launched three major railway projects under the Rs 15,000 crore 'Rashtriya Rail Vikas Yojana' (RRVY) in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat through satellite link, saying these would mark accelerated development and expansion of rail network in the country.

"Like the development of roads and highways, these projects would go a long way to strengthen, expand and modernise the rail network and connect them to the ports.

"Likewise, government is also stressing on development of the civil aviation sector," Vajpayee said after inaugurating the three projects from his official residence here.

The RRVY would strengthen the rail 'golden quadrilateral' network between four metros, which carry nearly 55 per cent of passenger traffic and two-thirds of goods.

Under the time-bound programme to be completed in next five years, these projects have been taken up for construction of Munger rail-cum-road bridge on river Ganga in Bihar, doubling of 151 kms Gooty-Pullampetta line on Mumbai-Chennai route and gauge conversion project of the 305 kms Gandhidham-Palanpur rail in Gujarat.

Describing the day as "a very important day for Indian Railways", Vajpayee said with the launch of RRVY, "a promise I had made to the people on August 15 is being fulfilled".

While major problems of the railways would be resolved through these projects, road transport was also being expanded in a big way across the country to enhance economic activity and generate employment.

The Prime Minister said the linking of four metros through the rail golden quadrilateral project would "enhance the speed of goods trains in particular as also of the passenger trains. It would reduce pollution also".

Government was also laying utmost stress on ensuring safety and security of rail passengers and technical and administrative aspects were being looked into, he said.

Stating that it was now possible to raise financial resources through means other than budgetary, Vajpayee said the railways could make use of these means to raise finances for these big projects. "No project should languish for want of resources," he asserted.

In a lighter vein, Vajpayee said, "It is only an accident that I am launching these projects a day after my birthday. It has nothing to do with my birthday, which was an accident. But at times, accidents also do some good and may be that is why Railway Minister chose this day for the inauguration."

In his speech, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said Asian Development Bank had only last week cleared a loan of $ 313.6 million for these rail projects.

He said the process of setting up of a special purpose vehicle for running of the RRVY called 'rail vikas nigam' was already on and was expected to be operationalised soon.

Kumar said the RRVY included projects to ensure higher speed of mail/express and freight trains, providing rail connectivity to ports and development of corridors to the hinterland, construction of four mega bridges and accelerated completion of other important projects.

PTI