Banihal railway link will transform lives, say residents

PTI

Banihal/Jammu, February 18

Thousands of families in remote pockets of Ramban district are eagerly waiting for the inauguration of train services on the Banihal-Sangaldan section by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, and say it will fulfil their decades-old dream and completely transform their lives.

Boost to the region

• Dozens of villages in Banihal, Ramban, Khari, Gool, Mahore, Sangaldan, Pogal Paristan (Ukhral) and Ramsoo tehsils will be directly benefited by the beginning of the train service.
• The 48.1-km section, a part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, will provide an all-weather dependable transport facility to the people of the region.

The 48.1-km section, a part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, will provide an all-weather dependable transport facility to the people of the region.

According to Northern Railway officials, the PM will virtually dedicate to the nation the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan railway line and flag off the first electric train from Baramulla to Sangaldan during his visit to Jammu on February 20.

Modi is also scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation of 209 projects worth Rs 3,161 crore from the Maulana Azad Stadium and address a public rally.

The start of the rail service is “a historic occasion for us and is going to transform our lives completely,” said Choudhary Mohammad Ashraf, former sarpanch of Sumber. “We will have a dependable transport facility at a minimum cost. It will not only provide us a major relief but will also open new vistas, especially for our younger generations,” he said. Qamar Din of the same village said the joy of having a train service after seven decades of the country’s independence is very difficult to describe.

Ramban Deputy Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Chaudhary said, “This railway line brings immense joy to not only the people of Ramban but to the entire Chenab Valley, fulfilling a decades-old dream.”

District Development Council (DDC) chairperson leader Shamshad Shan termed the proposed inauguration of the railway line a “historic moment”.

DDC member Khari Fayaz Naik, who is associated with the Democratic Progressive Azad Party led by former CM Ghulam Nabi Azad, said it is a welcome development for the remote area.

Dozens of villages in Banihal, Ramban, Khari, Gool, Mahore, Sangaldan, Pogal Paristan (Ukhral) and Ramsoo tehsils will be directly benefited by the start of the train service.

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