Vande Bharat Express To Kashmir, Katra To Srinagar Train Service: Finally the wait of 70 years is over. Now people will be able to reach the valleys of Kashmir directly by train.
Vande Bharat Express To Kashmir, Katra To Srinagar Train Service: Finally, the wait for the first Vande Bharat train to reach the valleys of Kashmir directly is about to end. Yes, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar on April 19. The 70-year-old dream of connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country is finally going to be fulfilled. The aim of this railway service is to promote tourism, agriculture, industry and education as well as provide year-round connectivity to the people of Kashmir.
Let us tell you that this train, designed with advanced anti-freezing technology, can be easily operated even in exceptionally cold weather conditions. Let us tell you that this train is being run under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, on which work has been going on for decades.
PM Modi will inaugurate Kashmir rail link
According to official sources of news agency IANS, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will also be present at the event.
The new rail service will start from Katra, cross the Pir Panjal Mountain Range and reach Baramulla in north Kashmir, providing much-needed connectivity to the region.
Currently, the train runs only between Sangaldan and Baramulla, but the new extension will connect Katra to the Kashmir Valley, reducing travel time and improving accessibility.
PM Modi’s schedule in Kashmir
According to official reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive at the Udhampur Army airbase on April 19. He will then visit the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, where he will get a detailed overview of its construction, which is considered an engineering marvel.
After this, the Prime Minister will go to Katra to officially launch the Vande Bharat Express. Before returning to Delhi, he will address a public rally in Katra to celebrate this achievement.
High-advanced train designed for extreme cold
The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express is specially designed to work in extreme winter conditions. Manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the train can withstand temperatures up to -20 degrees Celsius.
Talking about the specialty of this train, it has an advanced heating system for the convenience of passengers. Apart from this, CCTV cameras and emergency talk-back units have been provided for safety. The train has shatterproof windows and anti-frost windshields to ensure clear visibility.
Rs 41,000 crore rail project completed
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is a total of 272 km long. Its 209 km long span is operational. The total cost of this project is Rs 41,000 crore. Which has been developed in different phases.
-118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section (operational from October 2009)
-18 km Banihal-Qazigund section (operational from June 2013)
-25 km Udhampur-Katra section (operational from July 2014)
-48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section (operational from February 2023)
The 46 km long Sangaldan-Reasi section was completed in June 2023, with only 17 km left between Reasi and Katra, which was recently completed. This final section allowed the successful testing of the Vande Bharat Express on this route.
