Srinagar, Mar 30: A long-cherished dream is set to become reality when the first train crosses the Chenab bridge to connect Kashmir with the rest of India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi scheduled to flag off the first-ever train service connecting Katra, to Baramulla on April 19, according to reports.
At present, the Kashmir Valley has an operational railway line that runs between Banihal and Baramulla, passing through Srinagar. However, this section is isolated from the rest of the country, as the missing link is the Banihal-Katra section, a part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
Fulfilling a long-anticipated dream of direct rail access for Kashmir, PM Modi will flag off the train from the Katra railway station of the Jammu rail division.
According to reports, PM Modi will address a rally in Katra, which serves as a base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine, after flagging off the historic train service.
PM Modi is likely to be accompanied by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, along with other top political figures and officials.
The trial runs on the Katra-Baramulla railway track have been completed. Following an inspection in January, the Commissioner of Railway Safety approved the launch of train services between Katra and Kashmir, reported The New Indian Express.
Initially, only one Kashmir-specific train will operate on the Katra-Srinagar route. An official stated that additional trains will be introduced based on public demand and response.
Sources said that due to security concerns, passengers will be required to disembark at Katra railway station and transfer to another train to continue their journey to Kashmir.
Anyone travelling to Srinagar from Delhi or any other part of the country, as well as those heading in the opposite direction, will have to undergo thorough security checks before boarding, they added.
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 involved an expenditure of Rs 41,000 crore.
On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Katra-Banihal section.
A series of trials over the past few months on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges, have been conducted.
The Vande Bharat Express Train between Katra and Srinagar has been specially designed with anti-freezing features.
Manufactured by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory (ICF), this new Vande Bharat train can operate smoothly in extremely cold conditions as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. To ensure comfort for passengers and drivers, the train is equipped with advanced heating systems.
The safety features of the train include CCTV cameras and Emergency Talk Back Units.
The train has shatterproof windows and the windshield of the driver is equipped with a special anti-frost system that allows a clear field of vision.
The train to Kashmir will give a boost to tourism, horticulture, agriculture, industries, education, and to the average Kashmiri, who can now forget his fears about the strategic Jammu-Srinagar highway getting closed due to rain and snowfall.
The train will provide an uninterrupted all-weather connectivity, and the carriage of goods to and from the Valley will become much cheaper in the coming days.