Jammu, 8 June (IANS). Northern Railway has started commercial operations of Vande Bharat Train Service between Srinagar city and Katra city of Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials said the commercial operation of the Vande Bharat train started on Saturday, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 6 June.
This rail service connects Katra town of Reasi district to the Kashmir Valley. After the completion of the expansion work at Jammu railway station, the rail service from Jammu to Valley will be operated in September this year.
The state -of -the -art Vande Bharat Train has been designed to conform to the extremes of the temperature in the region and the uncertainty of the weather. Air -conditioned and centrally warm, charging points in cabin, comfortable seating arrangement, food convenience for passengers and defrosting techniques for driver’s windshield are some features of this train.
If the weather and road condition is good, it will take eight hours by road from Katra to Srinagar. Vande Bharat Train will take three hours from Katra to Srinagar.
There are 36 tunnels and hundreds of bridges on the rail track between Katra and Srinagar, including the Chinav railway bridge, the world’s highest bridge and is 35 meters high than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Anji cable-set bridge on this railway link is the first such railway bridge in the country. Both these bridges are considered to be a miracle of engineering, for which Indian Railways has earned appreciation from all over the world.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is often blocked due to landslides, soil collapse, stone fall and accidents due to accidents.
Officials said that the first day of commercial operations went smoothly and trains reached their destination by evening.
Officials said that the goods train will also be run on the track on the basis of demand. Due to railway links between Kashmir and the rest of the country, apple producers of Kashmir will be one of the most benefiting sections to be benefited, as now their yield will reach the markets of cheap goods and the rest of the country on time.
-IANS
ASH/KR
