PM Modi flags off Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, establishing a direct rail connection between Jammu division and Kashmir.

This development marks a significant milestone in Jammu and Kashmir’s railway infrastructure. Before flagging off the trains, Modi engaged with schoolchildren aboard the train and spoke with railway staff members present.

The new Vande Bharat Express will reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar from the current 6-7 hours by road to approximately 3 hours. It aims to provide a fast, comfortable, and reliable travel option for locals, tourists, and pilgrims.

The train route passes over the Anji Khad Bridge—India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge—and the Chenab Bridge, which holds the record as the world’s highest railway bridge. These trains are specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the world’s highest railway arch bridge, the Chenab Railway Bridge, and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district.

In a remarkable moment, Modi waved the Indian national flag (Tiranga) and carried it across the Chenab River on the deck of the bridge. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, and Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw were present at the event.

Before the Chenab Bridge inauguration, the Prime Minister inspected the railway arch bridge. Both bridges are part of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir.

The iconic Chenab Railway Bridge, located on the Katra-to-Sangaldan stretch, directly connects New Delhi with Kashmir via Katra. Situated in Reasi district, the Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel standing 359 meters above the riverbed. It will officially connect the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India by rail for the first time in history.

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