New Delhi, June 10 (IANS). Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav on Wednesday met Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to discuss ongoing and future railway projects in the Union Territory. The objective of the meeting was to improve connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir and accelerate regional economic development.
Taking an important decision during the meeting, it was announced to provide commercial stoppage at Anantnag for Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express. This new stop will greatly benefit travelers, tourists and businessmen. This will provide fast, convenient and reliable rail connectivity to Anantnag, one of the major economic and cultural hubs of Kashmir.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that the Central Government is fully committed to the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. The new stoppage of Vande Bharat Express at Anantnag is a decision taken keeping in mind the needs and aspirations of the local people, which will provide better transport facilities to the people of the area.
He expressed confidence that this step will further boost tourism, trade and economic activities in Jammu and Kashmir and play an important role in the development of the region. Keeping this in view, a new stoppage of Vande Bharat Express is being announced in Anantnag, so that the people there and the tourists traveling there do not have to face any problem.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lauded the transformative initiatives of Indian Railways in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the Vande Bharat service has completely transformed the journey between Jammu and Srinagar. Due to this, travel time has been significantly reduced and passengers are getting world class facilities. This will be increased further in the coming days. The government is continuously working for this.
He said that the expanded rail network is not limited to passenger transportation only, but is also strengthening the economy of Jammu and Kashmir. The seamless movement of fruits like apples, cherries and commodities like cement, in particular, has improved logistics systems, reduced transportation costs and opened up new market opportunities for local farmers and industries.
–IANS
SAK/ABM