JAMMU: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that the first train arrived in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in 1972 but it took more than 50 years for the rail track to get extended.
Singh was welcomed by his supporters during a visit to Jammu days after securing a third term from the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat.
“In the last 10 years, there has not been a single day when this constituency and our team of workers has not dedicated itself to the work of development in the constituency… I have to humbly express my gratitude to the people of the constituency who have been a constant source of inspiration for us to work day and night…” Singh told reporters here.
Replying to a query, he said, “…Nobody could have thought of till a few years ago that a day would come when the Valley of Kashmir would be connected with the rest of India, rest of world through a rail link.”
He said that the train arrived in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in 1972.
“It took more than 50 years for the rail track to get extended. It was only when Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over, the work was put on the fast track. There was some issue related to the bridge at Reasi which was resolved. Now this is the highest bridge in the world…Very soon we will have a train running into the Kashmir Valley”.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will be completed by year-end.
The USBRL project, including the 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan section, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20, 2024.
Phase I of the project, covering the 118 km long Qazigund-Baramulla section, was inaugurated in October 2009. Subsequent phases saw the inauguration of the 18 km long Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25 km long Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.
The Chenab Rail Bridge constructed 359 metres (around 109 feet) above the Chenab River in the Jammu and Kashmir region, is some 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower.
The 1,315 metre-long bridge is part of a broader project which aims to make the Kashmir valley accessible by the Indian Railway network.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Sunday that the first trial run of the Sangaldan-Reasi train was completed, a significant milestone in crossing the world’s tallest railway bridge, Chenab.
As the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project is almost completed, Indian Railways is edging closer to connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of the railway network.
