Jammu, June 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to flag off the train from Katra town to Kashmir Valley on June 6.

“The Prime Minister could flag off the Vande Bharat train services from Katra in Jammu division to Baramulla in the Valley on June 6 as all preparations for the train services have been given the final touches,” officials said.

The Vande Bharat train service to Kashmir was scheduled to start on April 19, but the inauguration by the PM was postponed due to inclement weather.

The Vande Bharat train service will be beneficial to the Amarnath Yatra pilgrims since the blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar highway frequently halts the passage of the pilgrims.

This year’s Amarnath Yatra starts on July 3 and will end on August 9 after 38 days.

Officials said if need arises special trains can be run to clear rush of the pilgrims especially in case of highway blockade.

The Prime Minister will flag off the train from Katra to Baramulla and virtually from Baramulla to Katra.

The PM will address a rally at Katra Stadium and also visit the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab river, in addition to the first cable stayed bridge on the railway track in Reasi district before flagging off train services from Katra.

For the present, the train will run from Katra to Baramulla, but after completion of expansion work at Jammu Railway Station, including increase in number of platforms, the train to Valley will start operations from Jammu to Baramulla by August to September this year.

There will be no direct train from Delhi or any other part to Kashmir at present.

The passengers will have to de-board at Katra and change the train. Later, the same process will shift to Jammu.

During Operation Sindoor, a train carrying Army soldiers was operated on the track upto Srinagar.

Fresh security audit of the track was conducted after Pahalgam terror attack and all issues have been addressed with deployment of more police personnel and strengthening of infrastructure.

Out of the total 272-km, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209-km was commissioned in phases, with the first phase of the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1-km-long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February last year.

The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17-km stretch between Reasi and Katra, which was completed nearly three months ago leading to start of different trials of trains, including that of the Vande Bharat.

The project involved a cost of Rs 41,000 crore On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Katra-Banihal section.

The Railways have conducted series of trials over the past few months on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.

Kashmir will get a new specially designed Vande Bharat Express Train. This new semi-high-speed train will connect Katra and Srinagar.

The new semi-high-speed train connecting Katra and Srinagar will be the third such train in Jammu and Kashmir.

The inauguration of the train service from Katra to Baramulla and from Jammu to Baramulla before the year end will realise a more than 70-year long dream of the people of the Valley.

The train to Kashmir will see a new dawn for horticulture, industries, education, goods transport and the convenience of the common man.

The dream of a rail link between Kashmir to Kenyakumari is likely to become a reality on June 6 when Prime Minister Modi will write yet another glorious chapter in the developmental history of Jammu and Kashmir.

–IANS

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