A long-cherished dream of Kashmiris became reality when prime minister Manmohan Singh flagged off the first train from Nowgam railway station on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Kashmir’s first train service, from Budgam to Anantnag, begins
SRINAGAR: A long-cherished dream of Kashmiris became reality. on Saturday when prime minister Manmohan Singh flagged off the first train from Nowgam railway station on the outskirts of Srinagar.
The epoch-making event came at a time when the valley is witnessing a renewed separatist struggle, which has claimed 45 lives in the past two and a half months.
Strict security restrictions were put in place in the old city area of Srinagar after two young men were shot dead by security forces on Friday evening.
“It is a historic day for Jammu & Kashmir and its people,” Union railway minister Lalu Prasad said at the event. “The road to development is getting wider and wider.”
Initially, the train service will run from Rajwansher in Budgam district to Anantnag, a distance of 66km. The fare will be Rs15 and the railways will operate two services in each direction every day.
In view of the cold weather conditions in the valley, the train has been equipped with a 1,.400hp diesel engine with a special heating system. The driver’s cabin has heating and defogging units and a single windscreen gives him a wider view..In addition, a special device at the driver’s end will help the train to cut through snow piled up on the tracks.
“This service will benefit the people of Kashmir,” said Ishfaq Ahmed, a student. “Earlier it used to take a lot of time to travel to Anantnag.”
The 292km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line is one of the Indian Railways’ most prestigious projects. It is divided into three sections — Udhampur-Katra, Katra-Qazigund, and the 130km Qazigund-Baramulla line. The last section is slated for completion by the yearend.
Building the 148km Katra-Qazigund section will be the most challenging task. Most of the line will pass through tunnels and over bridges. On this section, a bridge is being built across the Chenab which will have an arch span of 465 metres and a total length of 1.3km. At 359 metres above the riverbed, it will be among the world’s highest railway bridges.
“The Qazigund end of this stretch will have 10km of tunnels cutting through the Pir Panjal range,” said a railway engineer. The 53km sector of the project between Jammu to Udhampur was completed in 2005 at a cost of Rs522 crore. The total project cost is an estimated Rs11,270 crore, of which the Qazigund-Baramulla section will cost Rs2,275 crore.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}