National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah called the new Vande Bharat Express to Katra a "huge blessing" for Jammu and Kashmir, praising its impact on travel, tourism, and regional connectivity via the iconic Chenab and Anji bridges.
Vande Bharat train at Katra. Pic/PTI
Just a few days after the havoc that was caused in the valley due to the tensions between India and Pakistan. A new ray of hope in the form of bridges and trains has brought a smile to people’s faces.
After PM Modi inaugurated the Vande Bharat trains on June 6 at Katra. It was now time for the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah to take a joyride in the Vande Bharat train.
The veteran leader took the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam Railway Station in Srinagar to Katra. Nowgam Railway Station is a crucial part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project, connecting Kashmir to the Jammu area and the rest of India.
While speaking to the media, Farooq Abdullah expressed his happiness and said that this train is a blessing for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, he added that the train will benefit the people of J-K and tourists a lot.
The National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah said, "I am very happy that I am travelling on this train to Katra. This is a huge blessing for us and is going to benefit tourists a lot. It is difficult to travel by road, and prices for air travel are extremely high. This train is going to benefit us a lot."
The two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir, were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6.
The new Vande Bharat Express train will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours.
As reported by ANI, these trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley.
The train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway arch bridge in the world.
Apart from inaugurating the two Vande Bharat trains, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge – 'Chenab Railway Bridge' – and India's first cable-stayed 'Anji Bridge' in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district. This marks a major milestone in Jammu and Kashmir's railway connectivity.
All of these projects are part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
The USBRL project is 272 kilometres long, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore, and includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration.
(With ANI Inputs)
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