We built 50,000 rail coaches, Congress regime could not build 50,000 toilets: Modi - thehindu.com

**Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauds rail coach production, criticises previous government’s sanitation record**

New Delhi – While inaugurating the first phase of the Gujarat Dedicated Freight Corridor (GDFC) on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the Modi‑led government’s achievement of manufacturing 50,000 railway coaches in a single fiscal year. “We built 50,000 rail coaches; the Congress regime could not even build 50,000 toilets,” the prime minister said, juxtaposing the current administration’s infrastructure push with what he described as the UPA‑led government’s “inertia” on sanitation. The remarks, delivered from the platform in Vadodara, were framed as part of a broader narrative that the BJP’s development agenda has accelerated tangible outcomes across transport, logistics and public health.

The GDFC, a 300‑km stretch linking Ahmedabad and Vadodara, is designed to decongest existing mixed‑traffic routes and cut transit times for bulk cargo by up to 30 percent. Officials said the corridor will initially handle 100 million tonnes of freight annually, with plans to expand capacity to 150 million tonnes within five years. The project, funded jointly by the central government and state authorities, is expected to boost export competitiveness, attract private logistics investment and generate employment in ancillary industries. Ministry of Railways data shows that coach production surged from 15,000 units in FY 2014‑15 to 50,000 units in FY 2023‑24, reflecting increased capacity at Indian Railways’ manufacturing units and the rollout of modern, high‑speed EMU and LHB coaches.

Modi’s statements sparked a swift reaction from opposition leaders. Rahul Gandhi, addressing a rally in Delhi, dismissed the coach‑toilet comparison as a “political stunt” and urged the government to focus on completing pending sanitation projects, citing the Swachh Bharat Mission’s target of 110 million household toilets. The Indian National Congress and several regional parties demanded a factual audit of both rail coach numbers and toilet construction statistics. Meanwhile, analysts noted that while India’s rail coach output has indeed risen, the nation still trails global averages in per‑capita railway assets, and that the sanitation drive under the current government has added more than 40 million toilets since 2014, narrowing the gap with the prime minister’s claim. The inauguration thus served both as a showcase of infrastructure progress and a flashpoint in the ongoing political contest over development narratives.

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