Friday, 25 April 2025
Friday, 25 April 2025
The wait for rail connectivity in Kashmir is over as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first train from Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine, to Kashmir Valley, on April 19.
The train service, fulfilling a decades-old demand for rail connectivity to Kashmir, will be launched in the presence of Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, according to reports.
The train will begin its journey from Katra in Reasi district, cross the Pir Panjal mountain range, and reach Srinagar before concluding at Baramulla in north Kashmir.
With successful trial runs and security clearances in place, PM Modi has given the nod for the inaugural run.
Jitendra Singh confirmed the development, saying, “The Prime Minister will inaugurate train services to the Valley from Katra on April 19,” reported DailyExcelsior.
As per sources, the train will initially operate between Katra and Baramulla. Once the expansion work at Jammu Railway Station is completed, including the addition of more platforms, the service will extend to Jammu, likely by July or August.
“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,” DailyExcelsior quoted the sources.
Union home secretary Govind Mohan recently visited Jammu to review the security arrangements ahead of the launch.
The same day, the Chairman of the Railway Board and the Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) assessed the situation at Katra.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project spans 272 kilometers.
The 46-kilometer Sangaldan-Reasi section was finished in June last year, leaving only the 17-kilometer stretch between Reasi and Katra, which was completed around three months ago.
This final segment allowed for multiple successful trials, including runs of the Vande Bharat train.
The project was built at an estimated cost of Rs 41,000 crore. The cost included the construction of the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world.
On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Katra-Banihal section.
Kashmir will also receive a new Vande Bharat Express with anti-freezing features, designed for the region’s harsh winters.
