Muhammad Suhail
Jammu, Apr 30 : Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said a “new stream of development” has been flowing in Jammu and Kashmir since the abrogation of Article 370, as he flagged off a 20-coach Vande Bharat train between Jammu and Srinagar following massive public demand.
Speaking to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) Railway minister Vaishnaw recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Jammu-Srinagar rail link a year ago with an eight-coach train from Katra. “That train is now running at 100 per cent capacity, and demand is very high. Normally, when an eight-coach train fills up, we increase it to 16 coaches. When that fills, we make it 20 coaches. Here, demand is so high that we directly moved to 20 coaches,” he said.
The minister informed that over 5.5 lakh passengers have travelled on the eight-coach Vande Bharat services so far. The train departing from Jammu serves Dogri food, while the one from Srinagar offers Kashmiri cuisine, he added.
Highlighting economic dividends, Vaishnaw said the railway line has revolutionised cargo movement. “Transportation of cars, two-wheelers, cement, steel, salt – everything has become easier. Most notably, over two crore kilogrammes of apples have been transported from the Srinagar valley to the rest of the country by train, besides cherries and dry fruits,” he said.
On future expansion, the minister said the government is prioritising extension of the line from Baramulla to Uri, with assurances that apple orchards and natural beauty will not be disturbed. A project to connect Poonch and Rajouri is in the detailed project report stage, he added.
Railway minister Vaishnaw said the Delhi-Ambala four-line project has been approved, while doubling from Jalandhar to Jammu is complete. Jammu station is being redeveloped with a second entry, two new platforms, stabling lines and washing lines. “After Article 370 was abrogated, a new stream of development has started flowing in Jammu and Kashmir,” he asserted.
On security, he said high-tech sensors, CCTV cameras and a control room have been set up in coordination with J&K Police and the Union Home Ministry. Despite last winter’s heavy snowfall of up to two feet on tracks, services never halted. The specially designed high-altitude Vande Bharat train, equipped with over 3,000 chips rated for minus 10 degrees Celsius and anti-freeze wiring and plumbing, was successfully tested during the harsh winter, he added. (KNS)
