Railway Minister says will start railway line to Kashmir from December this year

By the end of this year or the beginning of next, the Kashmir Valley will have a rail service that will connect it to the rest of the nation. Also, the Railway Ministry is creating a unique ‘Vande Bharat’ train that can withstand the region's cold weather.

Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw said, "By December this year or January-February next year, the train will chug." 

Ashwani Vaishnaw is in the Kashmir Valley to inspect progress on the Udhampur-Baramulla rail link project, which includes the construction of the Chenab River's highest railway bridge in India. The Chenab rail bridge, an engineering marvel, is 359 meters above the riverbed, which is 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

The single-arched railway bridge has already been finished, and a test run was just performed on it a few days ago. According to the minister of railways, special Vande Bharat trains would be built so people can travel through the Kashmir valley even when it is extremely cold and snowy.

Vaishnaw said, "For Jammu and Kashmir, a special design Vande Bharat train is being made. We have factored in temperature and snowfall here. The train is being manufactured accordingly. It will have heating systems and other facilities. By mid of next year, this train will be here in Kashmir valley.”

He said that in order to complete the project on time and offer passengers the best possible travel and services, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has placed a focus on connecting Kashmir Valley with a train link. He has also increased financial allocation for this purpose.

The railway link will be extended past Baramulla up to the frontier Kupwara region in north Kashmir, according to the railway minister. They also said India is constructing 13 km of new train tracks daily.

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