Srinagar: Indians have so long been travelling to Jammu by train and then taking the road route to reach Srinagar.
Very soon, tourists will be able to avoid the arduous 10-12 hours’ bus journey to reach Kashmir Valley.
According to Union Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Udhampur-Banihal track, connecting Jammu with Srinagar, will be completed by December this year, or early next year.
The Kashmir Valley will finally be connected to the rest of the country through train services by next year, Vaishnaw said.
Speaking at a press conference at the Srinagar railway station, the Railways minister added that specially designed ‘Vande Bharat’ train is being developed for the Udhampur-Banihal track.
Vaishnaw is visiting Kashmir to evaluate progress on the Udhampur-Baramulla Rail Link Project, which includes the world’s highest railway bridge on Chenab river, touted as an engineering marvel.
“It is higher than the Eiffel Tower… All the tests have been done and all have been successful. High velocity winds, extreme temperature, earthquake prone area, hydrological impact — everything has been studied in detail. Now, the bridge is ready for operation, ready for commissioning,” Vaishnaw said.
He also visited Baramula, the first railway station of India in Kashmir.
“Inspected the ‘first station of India’ at Baramula. Purchased local products at the ‘One Station, One Product’ (OSOP) stall,” he tweeted along with the video.
Inspected the ‘first station of India’ at Baramula.
Purchased local products at ‘One Station One Product’ stall. pic.twitter.com/yR7NsGKfXo
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) March 25, 2023
