On April 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first train from Katra to the Valley, fulfilling the over 70-year-old dream of rail connectivity to Kashmir.
The train will depart from Katra, located in the Reasi district,and will cross the Pir Panjal mountain range to reach Srinagar and then its final destination at Baramulla in north Kashmir.
PM Modi will flag off the train from Katra,in the presence of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Currently, the train runs between Sangaldan and Baramulla. The Prime Minister is expected to arrive at Udhampur Army airport from New Delhi on the morning of April 19, after which he will proceed to the world’s highest railway bridge spanning the Chenab River in Reasi district.PM Modi will be briefed about the construction of the bridge, which is considered to be an engineering marvel.
The Prime Minister will then reach the Mata Vaishno Devi base camp, Katra from where he will flag off the Vande Bharat train to the Valley.Before heading back to Delhi in the afternoon, PM Modi will speak at a public rally in Katra.Railway officials announced that following the completion of the expansion project at Jammu Railway Station, train services to the Valley are anticipated to commence from Jammu around July or August of this year.
“There will be no direct train from Delhi or any other part to Kashmir. The passengers will have to de-board at Katra and change the train. Later, the same process will shift to Jammu”, officials said.
Several trials of the train from Katra to Baramulla including that of Vande Bharat Express have been successful and the security issues have also been addressed.
Out of the total 272 kms of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 kms was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by the 18 km Banihal-Qazigund link in June 2013, 25 kms of the Udhampur-Katra stretch in July 2014 and the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section in February, last year.
The work on the 46 km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra which was also completed nearly three months ago, leading to the start of different trials of trains, including that of Vande Bharat.The project incurred a cost of Rs 41,000 crore. On January 4, a successful test run of an electric train took place on the Katra-Banihal segment. In recent months, a series of trials have been carried out on different sections of the track, including the significant achievements of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.
The Vande Bharat Express Train between Katra and Srinagar has been specially designed with anti-freezing features.
Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) located in Chennai, the latest Vande Bharat train is designed to function effectively in extremely low temperatures, reaching as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. To enhance the comfort of both passengers and crew,the train is equipped with advanced heating systems.The safety features of the train include CCTV cameras, and Emergency Talk Back Units.
Additionally, the train is fitted with shatterproof windows, and the driver’s windshield is equipped with a specialized anti-frost system to maintain a clear line of sight. The introduction of this train service to Kashmir is expected to significantly enhance tourism, horticulture, agriculture, and industry, as well as improve educational opportunities for the local population. It alleviates concerns regarding the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway, which is often affected by adverse weather conditions. This train will ensure reliable all-weather connectivity, making the transportation of goods to and from the Valley more economical in the near future.
