Will PM Narendra Modi Inaugurate the Train to Kashmir on June 6?

Jammu, June 2 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the train service from Katra to the Kashmir Valley on June 6.

"The Prime Minister might unveil the Vande Bharat train services from Katra in the Jammu region to Baramulla in the Valley on June 6, as all necessary preparations for the train operations have been finalized," officials mentioned.

Originally, the Vande Bharat train service to Kashmir was set to commence on April 19, but the inauguration by the PM was delayed due to adverse weather conditions.

This train service will greatly assist Amarnath Yatra pilgrims, particularly since the frequent blockages of the Jammu-Srinagar highway often disrupt their journey.

This year’s Amarnath Yatra is scheduled to begin on July 3 and conclude on August 9, spanning 38 days.

Officials indicated that special trains could be activated to manage the influx of pilgrims, especially in the event of highway disruptions.

The Prime Minister will flag off the train from Katra to Baramulla and will also virtually inaugurate it from Baramulla back to Katra.

Additionally, the PM will address a rally at Katra Stadium and will visit the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, as well as the first cable-stayed bridge on the railway in Reasi district prior to the train service launch.

Initially, the train will operate between Katra and Baramulla, but once expansion work at Jammu Railway Station is completed, including enhancements to the number of platforms, the train will extend operations from Jammu to Baramulla by August to September this year.

Currently, there will be no direct trains from Delhi or any other region to Kashmir.

Passengers will need to disembark at Katra and transfer to another train. Eventually, this process will transition to Jammu.

During Operation Sindoor, a train transporting Army personnel was operated on the track up to Srinagar.

A fresh security audit of the track was performed following the Pahalgam terror incident, and all concerns have been addressed through the deployment of additional police forces and infrastructure improvements.

Out of the total 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 km has been commissioned in phases. The first phase of the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was inaugurated in October 2009, followed by an 18-km stretch from Banihal to Qazigund in June 2013, a 25-km section from Udhampur to Katra in July 2014, and a 48.1-km stretch from Banihal to Sangaldan in February last year.

The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was completed in June last year, leaving a remaining 17-km stretch between Reasi and Katra, which was finalized nearly three months ago, leading to various train trials, including that of the Vande Bharat.

This ambitious project has an estimated cost of Rs 41,000 crore. On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train occurred on the Katra-Banihal segment.

The Railways have conducted a series of trials over recent months on different sections of the track, with significant milestones achieved at the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.

Kashmir is set to welcome a newly designed Vande Bharat Express Train, which will connect Katra and Srinagar.

This semi-high-speed train will be the third of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir.

The inauguration of the train service from Katra to Baramulla, as well as from Jammu to Baramulla by year-end, will fulfill a dream that has been over 70 years in the making for the residents of the Valley.

The train service to Kashmir is anticipated to usher in a new era for agriculture, industry, education, goods transport, and overall convenience for the local populace.

The vision of a railway connection stretching from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is poised to become a reality on June 6, as Prime Minister Modi adds another remarkable chapter to the developmental narrative of Jammu and Kashmir.