PM Narendra Modi likely to flag off much-awaited first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir this week
Marvel in steel: The Chenab Bridge, located between Kauri and Bakal in Reasi, is the highest railway bridge in the world | Afcons Infrastructure
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch the long-awaited train service to Kashmir from Katra in Jammu between June 6 and 8. He will flag off the train during his visit. This is a historic step, as it will be the first direct train link to the Kashmir Valley. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
PM Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Baramulla. At the same time, he will start the return journey from Baramulla virtually. He is also expected to visit some key engineering sites, like the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab river and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad in Reasi district.
The train was first planned to start on April 19, but bad weather delayed it. It was postponed again after the April 22 terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam and the armed forces' Operation Sindoor in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The launch is very important, especially with the Amarnath Yatra starting on July 3. Officials say the train will help pilgrims travel quickly between Katra and Srinagar, especially if the Jammu-Srinagar highway gets blocked due to heavy monsoon rains in the Ramban-Banihal area.
The USBRL project is 272-kilometre long and work began in 1997. It faced several technical and security problems. So far, 209km has been completed in phases. The railway line from Qazigund to Baramulla was completed in 2009, followed by the Banihal to Qazigund section in 2013, the Udhampur to Katra line became operational in 2014 and the Banihal to Sangaldan section was completed in 2023.
The final 63km stretch, between Reasi and Katra, was the toughest part and has now been completed after years of work through tunnels and mountains. The total cost of the project is ₹41,000 crore.
For now, the train will run between Katra and Baramulla. It will likely be extended to Jammu by August or September, once work at the Jammu station is finished. Till then, passengers from other parts of India will have to change trains at Katra. Kashmir will also get a specially made Vande Bharat train, making it the third such service in Jammu and Kashmir.
India