Trial operations scheduled for January 5 and 6 ahead of train launch to the Valley.
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, January 3: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will be present in Jammu on January 6, alongside Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr. Jitendra Singh, during the virtual inauguration of the Jammu Railways Division by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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On January 5 and 6, statutory inspections will be conducted with the presence of senior Railways officials on the Katra-Reasi route and further, in preparation for the launch of service to Kashmir later this month.
Jammu has been established as a Railways Division in anticipation of the train services to the Kashmir Valley.
Officials indicated that the results of the inspections on January 5 and 6, and potentially a follow-up inspection, will determine when the Prime Minister will inaugurate the first train service to Kashmir.
Currently, train services are operational between Baramulla and Sangaldan, as well as from various regions across the country to Katra, which serves as the base camp for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine.
The track from Katra to Sangaldan is now complete, and trains from all over India will soon reach Baramulla contingent upon clearance from Railways and security officials.
Sources disclosed that during the virtual inauguration of the Jammu Railways Division on January 6, Prime Minister Modi will also inaugurate another Railways Division in Odisha simultaneously.
The Union Ministers will return to New Delhi while Railways officials will focus on trial runs of train services from Katra to Reasi and Sangaldan.
Regarding upcoming railway operations for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, sources confirmed that statutory inspections will occur on January 5-6 to open the Katra-Reasi (16.501 km) segment.
“This segment is part of the broader Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla New Broad Gauge Rail Link Project. Inspections will commence at 20:50 hrs on January 5 and conclude at 07:55 hrs on January 6,” they stated.
The Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) is expected to deliver an inspection report to the Union Government on January 8.
Phase-I of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project, covering the 118-km-long Qazigund-Baramulla section, was inaugurated in October 2009. Subsequent phases included the inauguration of the 18-km-long Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25-km-long Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.
