Historic Day: PM Modi To Launch Kashmir's First Train To Rest Of India, World's Highest Railway Bridge Over Chenab Today

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch multiple development projects worth more than ₹46,000 crore at Katra in Jammu and Kashmir and inaugurate the Chenab bridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge today, 6 June. Modi will also flag off Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar on the occasion.

This will be Prime Minister Modi 's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after 'Operation Sindoor' – India's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan launched on 7 May in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

Also Read | Omar Abdullah shares glimpses of Chenab bridge a day before inauguration

“Tomorrow, 6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir,” PM Modi said in a post on X on 5 June.

A PMO statement said Modi will launch multiple development projects worth over ₹46,000 crore at Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi temple.

Modi will inaugurate the Chenab Bridg at 11 am. Thereafter, he will visit and inaugurate the Anji bridge and then flag off Vande Bharat Trains at around 12 noon.

Chenab bridge as an architectural marvel

Lauding the Chenab bridge as an architectural marvel, the statement said that it is at a height of 359 metres above the river. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions.

"A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. Through Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge, it will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by two-three hours," it said, stressing Modi's commitment to boosting infra and connectivity in the region.

The prime minister will also inaugurate the Anji Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed rail bridge that will serve the nation in a challenging terrain, it added.

Among the other projects to be launched is the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

Constructed at a cost of around ₹43,780 crore, it includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country aiming to transform regional mobility and driving socio-economic integration.

In a major boost to last mile connectivity especially in border areas, Modi will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various road projects, the statement said.

The prime minister will also lay the foundation stone of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra worth over ₹350 crore. It will be the first medical college in Reasi district contributing substantially to the healthcare infrastructure in the region, it said.

First train connecting the valley to the rest of India

Modi will flag off the maiden Katra- Srinagar Vande Bharat Express – the first train connecting Kashmir valley to the rest of the country. He will also virtually flag off the train from Srinagar to Katra on the occasion.

Through Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge, it will take just about 3 hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by 2-3 hours.

Also Read | India's first train to Kashmir set to roll on Friday: All you need to know

Trains have been running between Banihal and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley, and between Jammu, Udhampur and Katra in the Jammu region . However, the 111-km Katra-Banihal section was the most difficult to construct owing to the challenging terrain.

Today's event would mean first trains plying between Kashmir Valley and rest of the country. The first passenger train will set off from Delhi and reach Srinagar via the pilgrim town Katra.

Although the idea of connecting Kashmir valley to the rest of the country by train was floated in the 1970s during the tenure of former prime minister Indira Gandhi, the project was officially sanctioned in a cabinet meeting chaired by her successor, PV Narasimha Rao, in 1994.

The work in earnest on the railway link began in 2002, when the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee 's government sanctioned funds for land acquisition for the project.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had been hearing about the train to Kashmir since he was in school.

"If I say that I have been waiting for this day for a long time, it won't be an exaggeration. This project started when I was in school, maybe in class 7 or 8. Today, my children have also completed their education and are now working," Abdullah told reporters at the Katra Railway Station.

Ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is one of the most ambitious railway projects undertaken in Independent India, a PIB release said.

Stretching 272 kilometres through the rugged Himalayas, the project has been built for ₹43,780 crore, it said.

Also Read | PM Modi to flag off first Vande Bharat train to Srinagar on Friday

The project includes 36 tunnels that span 119 kilometres and 943 bridges that knit together valleys, ridges, and mountain passes.

Designed to overcome the region's challenging geography, it connects remote areas to the national rail network and marks a new chapter in mobility, trade and tourism for Jammu and Kashmir , it added.

The railway link will end the break in the surface transport between Kashmir and the rest of the country, which invariably occurs during winter or whenever the weather becomes inclement.

It will also end the hike in air tickets, which shoot up whenever the Srinagar-Jammu highway is closed due to weather vagaries.

Tomorrow, 6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Vande Bharat Express is set to run between Katra and Srinagar, cutting down travel time and setting a new benchmark in comfort for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

(With PTI inputs)

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