Senior Congress leader and former Union Education Minister Karan Singh has praised the Central Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the inauguration of several historic railway projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including Chenab Railway Bridge, Figure Bridge, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
Singh described the inauguration of Katra-Srinagar rail service as a historic moment in the history of the region. In a statement issued on Friday, the former MP said, “Today is a really historic moment in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. The inauguration of the train from Katra to Srinagar is a surprising technical achievement and all the people involved are eligible for our heartfelt gratitude.”
He added, “The idea of the railway line was first seen several decades ago by Maharaja Pratap Singh. In fact, three project reports were prepared by international engineers at that time, one of which is very similar to the current route. On March 1, 1892, Maharaja Pratap Singh also laid the foundation stone of a railway project connecting Jammu and Kashmir.” The senior Congress leader had the three -Congress leaders to inaugurate the USBRL project and inaugurated the Srinagar trains from the Katra. He also congratulated Prime Minister Modi on the green signal. Singh said, “The project started taking shape during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Indira Gandhi. I emphasize that this project can play an important role in the development of the country.
Singh hoped that this rail service will start a new era of growth in tourism, trade and commerce in Jammu and Kashmir. “I am confident that this rail service will start a new era of tourism, trade and commerce in both the valley and Jammu. I am eager to enjoy this rail journey myself soon, so that I can see the amazing bridges and tunnels built here.”
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra railway station, which connects Jammu division directly to Kashmir. He also inaugurated the world’s tallest railway Arch Bridge ‘Chenab Railway Bridge’ and India’s first cable-sted ‘Fix Bridge’ in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a major milestone in the railway connectivity of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Miracle of architecture located 359 meters above the river Chenab Rail Bridge is the highest railway Arch bridge in the world. It is a 1,315 meter long Steel Arch Bridge designed to withstand earthquakes and air conditions. A major impact of this bridge will be to increase the contact between Jammu and Srinagar.
It will take only three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar by the new Vande Bharat Express train, which will reduce the current travel time by two to three hours.
The USBRL project is 272 km long, which has spent about Rs 43,780 crore on construction, including 36 tunnels (extending up to 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes uninterrupted rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, which aims to change regional mobility and promote socio-economic integration.
