Jammu, Apr 25 (KNO): Stating that the expansion of the railway network in Jammu and Kashmir has been made possible under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Saturday said that while train services reached Jammu in 1972, it took nearly five to six decades for the rail line to be extended to Katra and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters, Dr Singh as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “Today, a vast railway network is being laid across Jammu and Kashmir. Before 2014, the extension of the railway line towards Kashmir had almost come to a halt due to alignment issues in Reasi, where the world’s highest Chenab bridge now stands.”
He said that after 2014, the project gained momentum. “The train had reached Jammu in 1972, but it took nearly 50–60 years to reach Katra,” Singh said, adding that it was under the present dispensation that the tracks moved ahead towards the Kashmir Valley.
Singh said the Vande Bharat Express was initially planned to operate between Jammu and Srinagar, but due to renovation and upgradation works at Jammu Railway Station, the service was flagged off from Katra. “From April 30, the train will run between Jammu and Srinagar and vice versa,” he said.
He also said that the number of coaches has been increased to enhance passenger convenience—(KNO)