Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Jitendra Singh, along with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, arrived in Katra, Reasi district, on Thursday to finalize preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Friday.
Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenab Bridge and the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed bridge, which symbolize the nation’s engineering prowess. Following this, he will flag off Vande Bharat trains, marking the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), which will establish direct train connectivity to the Kashmir valley.
In addition to the railway projects, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone for and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects valued at over Rs 46,000 crore in Katra, which serves as the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine.
Minister Vaishnaw stated that Friday would be a “historic day” as the Prime Minister dedicates the completed railway line connecting Jammu and Srinagar, including the iconic Chenab and Anji bridges, to the nation. He emphasized that this inauguration fulfills a long-standing dream of connecting Kashmir to the national railway network.
He further elaborated that two specially-designed Vande Bharat trains would be flagged off. These trains are intended to connect Jammu and Srinagar but will initially operate between Katra and Srinagar while renovations at the Jammu railway station are underway. Vaishnaw anticipates the work at Jammu railway station to be completed by September, at which point the service will extend to Jammu. Earlier, Vaishnaw inspected the ongoing renovation work at the Jammu railway station, highlighting its future state-of-the-art bridging facility that will enable travelers to switch between normal and high-altitude trains.
Chief Minister Abdullah and Minister Singh had jointly visited the Chenab bridge site and other venues to review the arrangements. Singh shared on X that “Last minute touches” were being made at the site of the Chenab Bridge’s inauguration by Prime Minister Modi, posting pictures of his visit with Abdullah.
