Shadow Correspondent
Jammu, june 05:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday termed the upcoming inauguration of the train from Katra to Srinagar a “special day” for Jammu and Kashmir, saying the rail link will improve connectivity, boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities.
PM Modi today responded to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s post on reviewing preparations for the upcoming inauguration of the tallest railway bridge on the Chenab River.
“Tomorrow, 6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth Rs. 46,000 crores are being inaugurated which will have a very positive impact on people’s lives. In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Anji Bridge stands tall as India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging,” he posted on X.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project ensures all weather connectivity and the Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities,” he adds.
Earlier today, Omar visited Chenab Bridge and Katra and took a firsthand account of the things to oversee the preparations for the PM’s visit.
“Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, The Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of the Hon PM @narendramodi ji tomorrow. Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the Hon PM,” he wrote on X.
The countdown for the historic inauguration has already begun, which will start direct train service to Kashmir on Friday. PM Modi will flag off the first-ever train service from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) railway station at Katra towards Srinagar (SINA) railway station. This will end the over-a-century-old wait of the people of Kashmir,
June 6 is indeed
who have so far only dreamt of this occasion, but now they are all set to see the light of day when a green signal will be given by Modi.
The prime minister will be landing at Udhampur Air Force Station at 10 am and will proceed towards the S-70 viewpoint. Thereafter, the historic events will begin with the PM’s visit to the world’s highest railway bridge at 11 am, and he will dedicate the same to the nation, followed by a visit to India’s longest cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge. Both these bridges are engineering marvels, as the Chenab Bridge is taller than the Eiffel Tower of France.
At 11:45 am, the PM is expected to reach SMVD railway station, Katra, and will flag off the inaugural special Vande Bharat train no. 02401 towards Srinagar, for which the entire nation, in general, and the Kashmir Valley, in particular, have been waiting.
After that, he will drive towards the sports stadium in Katra, where people will be waiting to listen to the PM, who will be visiting Jammu and Kashmir for the first time after the Pahalgam terror attack, followed by Operation Sindoor. The function is expected to end around 2 pm, as the PM is scheduled to proceed towards Udhampur at 2:15 pm, and by 3:30 pm, he will be flying back to New Delhi from Udhampur.
Talking to media persons during his visit to Katra, Omar said, “We were waiting for a long time for this occasion. The work on this railway line was started when I was in school, probably in the seventh or eighth standard, and now my sons have also completed their education and are working. Now, we are at a stage when the PM will be coming and inaugurating the rail service.”
“With this, we all will benefit, as due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the supply of goods used to stop, people weren’t able to move, and airlines were looting us when they were selling Rs 5000 tickets for Rs 20000, but now all this will end. Our horticulture produce, including apples, cherries and other fruits, can be taken to the markets in a better way,” the CM said.
Commenting on the engineering marvels of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail-Link (USBRL) project, Omar said, “This rail project has set many records. Chenab Bridge is taller than Paris’s Eiffel Tower, and I was there today; the cable-stayed longest bridge in India, Anji Khad Bridge, and so many tunnels, which have been constructed especially between the Katra and Banihal stretch, are engineering marvels.”
He said that with the inauguration of the train service, tourism will benefit, trade will grow, the overall economy will be better, and everyone will benefit. “The prices of train tickets are not so high, and within four hours, one can reach Katra from Srinagar, and in a few months, when the work on platforms is completed at Jammu railway station, this train will be moving up to Jammu,” the chief minister added.
Meanwhile, the Indian railways today issued the train schedule between Katra and Srinagar and return. The inaugural Vande Bharat train 02401 will depart from SMVD Katra at 11:45 am on June 6 and will reach Sangaldan railway station at 12:45 pm, where it will have a halt for more than an hour to cross with train number 02402 coming from Srinagar. It will depart from Sangaldan at 1:55 pm and will reach Srinagar at 3:45 pm. From Srinagar, the Vande Bharat 02402 will depart at 11:45 am and will reach Katra at 2:50 pm.
For regular runs, the pair of train numbers 26404 and 26403 Vande Bharat will be running on six days except Wednesdays from either side, whereas another pair of Vande Bharat train numbers 26401 and 26402 Vande Bharat will be running for six days except Tuesdays. Both these pairs will have a stop at Banihal railway station.
The foolproof security has been put in place in all these places where the PM will be visiting, and also around Katra town. A three-tier security grid has been put in place, whereas the entire Reasi district and neighbouring Jammu and Udhampur districts have also put all the security arrangements in place.
A multi-tier security setup has been put in place for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to inaugurate the much-awaited Kashmir rail link and also dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore in Katra, officials said. This will be the first visit of Modi to the Union Territory post Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead on April 22.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenab bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji bridge, the symbol of India’s engineering excellence before flagging off Vande Bharat trains to mark the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the valley. Modi will also lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore at Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district.
The 272 km long USBRL project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. Prime Minister Modi will also flag off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar and back. They will offer a swift, comfortable, and reliable travel option for residents, tourists, pilgrims among others.
Prime Minister Modi will also lay the foundation stone of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra worth over Rs 350 crore. It will be the first medical college in Reasi district contributing substantially to the healthcare infrastructure in the region. Out of the total 272 km 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 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra and this section was finally completed in December 2024. Officials said a high security alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir in view of the Prime Minister’s visit with senior police, paramilitary officers, army and intelligence officers personally monitoring the situation. Heavy security deployments have been made in and around the venues with latest gadgets, including drones deployed to keep a close vigil, the officials said, adding the security grid on the borders and the hinterland has been further beefed up to check infiltration and movement of anti-national and subversive elements. The area domination and raids on the houses of suspected persons including Over Ground Workers and relatives of terrorists operating from across the border have also been intensified as part of the security arrangements, the officials said. During a visit to border areas on Wednesday, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Jammu-Kathua-Samba range, Shiv Kumar directed the officers on the ground to remain vigilant. The officials said several roads heading towards Katra Stadium, the venue of Modi’s public rally, may be shut or there may be traffic diversions on Friday
