In a major effort to boost connectivity in Uttar Pradeshs Varanasi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday flagged off four new Vande Bharat Express trains from the Banaras railway station. Which routes will new Vande Bharat trains connect? According to an official statement the new Vande Bharat Express trains will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho Lucknow-Saharanpur Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes. The semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains will significantly reduce travel time between major stations enhance regional mobility promote tourism and support economic activity across the country it said. As per officials the Banaras-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express will connect prominent cultural and religious destinations including Varanasi Prayagraj and Chitrakoot. Vande Bharat laying foundation of new Indian Railways Meanwhile addressing a gathering after launching the new Vande Bharat trains PM Modi said modern trains like Vande Bharat will be the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways. With so many Vande Bharat trains running and flights arriving from countries across the world all these developments are now linked to growth. Today India is also moving rapidly on this path. Trains like Vande Bharat Namo Bharat and Amrit Bharat are laying the foundation of a new generation of Indian Railways he said. Earlier the prime minister interacted with children who gathered at the railway station and inside the Varanasi-Khajuraho Vande Bharat Express. (With PTI inputs)