“Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the PM”, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wrote on X on Thursday after visiting the architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge.
Chenab Bridge, an iconic structure on the Katra-Kashmir rail link, will be inaugurated on Friday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah together visited the Chenab Bridge to oversee the final preparations ahead of its inauguration.
Omar wrote on X: “Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, The Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of the Hon PM @narendramodi ji tomorrow”.
Dr Jitendra Singh wrote on X: “Last minute touches at the site of the inauguration of the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge, by PM Sh @narendramodi tomorrow…….Beginning of a grand new chapter for Jammu and Kashmir!”
Omar and Dr Singh also inspected the specially designed Vande Bharat train, which will be flagged off by the PM.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the Katra Railway Station and took stock of the arrangements. Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Bittu, also visited Katra and other places.
The Northern Railways said that the commercial operation of Vande Bharat to Srinagar will begin on 7 June.
An elaborate multi-tier security has been put in place ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit here to inaugurate the Kashmir rail link and also dedicate development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore at Katra, which is the base town of the Vaishnodevi Shrine.
This will be the first visit of Modi to Jammu and Kashmir after the ‘Operation Sindoor’ that was launched by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 persons, mostly tourists, were killed on 22 April.
The PM was earlier scheduled to flag off Vande Bharat to Srinagar in April, but the event was postponed due to a bad weather alert.
The 272-kilometre-long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) — built at an estimated cost of Rs. 43,780 crore — will provide an all weather rail between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country.
The engineering marvel comprises 36 tunnels stretching over 119 km and 943 bridges, cutting through the rugged terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Modi will inaugurate the rail link by flagging off the Vande Bharat train from Katra town. In line with his commitment to boost rail infrastructure and connectivity in the region, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Chenab bridge and visit the bridge deck at around 11 AM. Thereafter, he will visit and inaugurate the cable-stayed Anji bridge.
The architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge, situated at a height of 359 meters above the river, is the world’s highest railway arch bridge. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. The Anji Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge that will serve the nation in a challenging terrain.
The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation stone of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra worth over Rs 350 crore. It will be the first medical college in Reasi district contributing substantially to the healthcare infrastructure in the region.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI) stated that the direct rail connectivity will not only provide immense relief to commuters but also reduce the over-dependence on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, which remains vulnerable to frequent disruptions.