Jammu
The 70 -year -old dream is going to come true. PM Narendra Modi will flag off the first train to run from Katra to Valley on 19 April. Prime Minister Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express of Jammu and Kashmir to run from Katra to Kashmir. The train will start from Katra town in Reasi district and reach Srinagar crossing the Pir Panjal mountain range and then will go to Baramulla in North Kashmir.
Prime Minister Modi will reach Udhampur Army Airport from New Delhi on the morning of 19 April. He will then visit the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River. During this time they will be informed about the technical aspects related to the construction of the bridge. After this, PM Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat train from Mata Vaishno Devi Aadhaar camp at Katra. According to the information received, this train is currently running from Sangaldan to Baramulla.
This history-making program will also include Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Before returning to Delhi, Prime Minister Modi will also address a public rally in Katra. According to railway officials, after the completion of the expansion work at Jammu railway station, train service from Jammu to Valley will start from July-August this year. However, there will be no direct train from Delhi or other parts to Kashmir. Passengers will have to get down in Katra and catch another train which will be implemented later in Jammu.
Let us know that under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 118 km of Kazigund-Baramulla section out of total 272 km was started in October 2009. After this, the work of 18 km long Banihal-Kazigund Link in June 2013 and 25 km long Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014 have been completed. In February last year, 48.1 km Banihal-Sangdan section was also added. The work of the 46 km long Sangaldan-Risi section was also completed in June last year, while the construction of 17 km between Reasi and Katra has recently been completed.