Vacationers, widespread folks, college students and the enterprise group have termed the connecting rail observe from Kashmir to Delhi as a welcome step believing it can show to be a game-changer for Kashmir.
Northern Railways made historical past by slicing by means of the Himalayan vary to attach the Kashmir Valley to different components of the nation through rail. It took 20 lengthy years for Indian Railways to finish this mission, spending Rs 37,000 crores. The historic announcement was made by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
The Minister wrote on X, “Historic milestone; preliminary observe work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Hyperlink is full. The ballast-less observe works for the three.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, positioned on the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, had been efficiently accomplished as we speak at 02:00 hrs.”
The information unfold a wave of happiness among the many folks of Kashmir. Kashmir, being a vacationer vacation spot, welcomes tens of millions of vacationers yearly. Nonetheless, many want to go to Kashmir however can not afford the airfare or discover the street journey unsafe and exhausting. Now, with the practice connection, they will go to with out problem. Kashmir might additionally develop into a weekend vacation spot for extra folks.
Navdeep Singh mentioned, “We had lots of difficulties getting right here. We first needed to take a practice from Punjab to Jammu, then I discovered there was no direct practice, so I boarded a cab to Banihal after which took a practice right here. Will probably be an important profit for vacationers coming from Delhi to Kashmir to get pleasure from their weekend right here.”
The enterprise fraternity in Kashmir has additionally welcomed the step, believing it will likely be a game-changer for the area and produce new heights to Kashmir’s enterprise and tourism industries.
Manzoor Pakhtoon, a member of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and president of the Houseboat Affiliation, mentioned, “It is a welcome step and a historic growth. It was our long-standing demand to have practice connectivity to all metro cities. It’s good that the observe is accomplished, and we hope the practice will quickly attain right here. It is going to profit us as a result of middle-class vacationers couldn’t go to as a consequence of excessive airfare, however now all courses can go to. Everybody desires to come back to Kashmir no less than as soon as of their life. The tourism sector will get a lift, and we imagine there might be extra probabilities for growth and employment alternatives. Different industries will even develop as a result of, in winters, highways get closed, however with rail connectivity, that received’t occur.”
This has been a long-standing demand from the widespread folks of Kashmir to have cheaper and quicker connectivity with the remainder of the nation. Individuals in Kashmir imagine this may convey a 360-degree change to their lives.
Ashiq Hussain, an area, mentioned, “I believe it’s an excellent factor. After we needed to journey to Jammu, we confronted lots of difficulties, however now with the practice, we’ll get nice reduction. It is going to assist companies too. Trains will make the journey a lot simpler. We must always welcome it. It’s good for everybody together with college students and customary folks. We had been ready for this.”
Hundreds of Kashmiri college students examine outdoors Kashmir, they usually both must journey by aircraft or street, which is dear and time-consuming. With the brand new practice connection, they won’t solely get monetary savings but additionally time and the journey might be quicker and extra comfy.
Safety Preparations
The 272-kilometer-long railway observe from Baramulla to Katra is totally secured. Of those 272 kilometres, 193 kilometres from Baramulla to Sangaldan have already got practice providers operating with foolproof safety preparations. Two safety wings, the Railway Safety Drive (RPF) and the Common Railway Police (GRP), are devoted to the safety of railway stations and tracks.
RPF is stationed at each station from Baramulla to Katra and is liable for station safety. X-ray machines are put in at each station to frisk folks and their baggage to make sure no untoward incidents happen.
GRP is liable for monitoring safety. Each 5 kilometres on the observe, 5-7 GRP troopers conduct rounds, with guard rooms at every entry and exit level of bridges and tunnels. Additionally they have rotating patrol shifts, and the troopers are from Jammu and Kashmir Police, transferred to the Common Railway Police.
The observe, which passes by means of probably the most troublesome terrain of the Himalayas, has the utmost variety of bridges and tunnels in any railway observe within the nation. It contains 931 bridges and 38 tunnels, with the longest tunnel being 12.5 kilometers lengthy and the very best bridge on the earth over the Chenab River, standing 359 meters above the river – increased than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
Each bridge and tunnel has safety guard rooms at their entry and exit factors. CCTV cameras are put in at each station, tunnel, and bridge, monitored around the clock by railway and safety authorities from sub-control rooms linked to the primary management room in Srinagar and Udhampur. A frisking level could also be arrange at Katra for checking passengers and their baggage.
As soon as practice operations start from Katra to Srinagar, further deployments of CRPF and SSB are additionally deliberate to sanitize the world and safe small and huge stations, in addition to delicate areas.
Challenge Particulars
This rail mission started in 2004 and took 20 years to finish, passing by means of the troublesome terrain of the Himalayas and the Chenab River. The mission price roughly Rs 37,000 crores. The observe contains 931 small and huge bridges, with the very best being the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge and 38 tunnels, together with a 12.5 km electrified tunnel, the longest in India.
