Jammu, June 5 (IANS) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said that the direct train between Jammu and Srinagar will run in September after work on the Jammu railway station is completed.

Talking to reporters today, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that work on the Jammu railway station is going on and it is expected to be completed by September.

“With the availability of platforms 5 and 6, Vande Bharat trains will run between Jammu and Srinagar directly in September,” he said.

The Union Minister visited Jammu railway station, where he inspected the ongoing development works.

His visit comes as part of the preparations for the launch of the much-awaited train service to Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to flag off two Vande Bharat trains at Katra town on Friday.

The PM will visit Chenab & Anji bridges, two engineering marvels on the rail link between Katra & Srinagar, before inaugurating the Vande Bharat train service.

PM Modi is also scheduled to lay the foundation stone and inaugurate several projects worth Rs 46,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir during his visit.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah visited the Chenab Bridge to oversee final preparations ahead of the inauguration of the railway bridge by the Prime Minister on Friday.

Unprecedented security has been put in place ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit on Friday.

A multi-layered security detail, drawn from the Special Protection Group (SPG), army, CAPFs and J&K Police, will protect the historic visit of the PM.

There is extraordinary vigil around PM Modi’s Friday visit as this is his first visit after Operation Sindoor to J& K.

The ubiquitous presence of security forces is seen in Jammu city and Reasi district, with a focus on the rail track from Katra town right up to Baramulla town in Kashmir.

All vantage points along the mountainous track have been taken over by the army and other security forces, while the rail track is dotted with CAPFs equipped with electronic equipment, drones, sniffer dogs and night vision devices.

–IANS