PM Modi to flag off direct train to Kashmir on April 19

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first direct train to the Kashmir Valley from Katra on April 19.

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The work on the final leg of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project was completed nearly three months ago, following which multiple checks and trial runs were conducted on the newly constructed rail line that traverses the high mountainous areas of Jammu division.

According to reports, on April 19, Prime Minister Modi will arrive at Katra, the base camp of the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage, along with Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and other dignitaries, to flag off the first train to the Valley. The train will start from Katra and reach Baramulla in Kashmir within a span of no more than five hours.

It is also reported that the Prime Minister will visit one of the world’s highest railway bridges on the Chenab River in Reasi district. Additionally, he is expected to address a public rally in Katra before returning to New Delhi.

Initially, the train will operate between Katra and Baramulla. Once construction work at Jammu railway station is completed, including the addition of more platforms, passengers will be able to board the train from Jammu. However, there will be no direct train service to the Kashmir Valley from Delhi at this stage. Passengers will have to disembark at Katra and board another train to the Valley.

Security has been heightened in the Reasi and Ramban districts, through which the train will pass, as these areas have witnessed terror incidents in the recent past. Given that the train route passes through dense forest areas, the Army, CRPF, and J&K Police have been deployed to secure the tracks.

The Vande Bharat train service will also operate between Katra and Baramulla.

The total length of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is 272 kilometres. Of this, the final 17-kilometre stretch between Reasi and Katra was completed recently.