As the first direct Vande Bharat Express from Jammu chugged into the Kashmir valley on Thursday, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promised to focus on connecting remote areas like Poonch, Rajouri and Uri to the country’s rail network.
Following the completion of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), Vaishnaw said detailed project reports (DPRs) have been prepared on projects to connect the Poonch-Rajouri region to the national rail network and to extend the railway line to Uri, a border town in Baramulla district.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, were among the dignitaries present at the flagging off ceremony.
The direct train services between Srinagar and Jammu will reduce travel time between the twin capitals of Jammu and Kashmir, and boost tourism, besides providing an all-weather surface transport link.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first direct train service between Katra and Srinagar on June 6, 2025. This service has now been extended up to the Jammu Tawi Railway Station.
The work on the Rs 43,780-crore rail project, linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, began in the late 1990s, with the first train operating in the Kashmir Valley in October 2008.
Talking to reporters after the flagging off ceremony, Vaishnaw said the government will focus on connecting the Poonch-Rajouri region with the rail network of the country, besides working on a rail link to Uri.
“We will now focus on connecting Poonch and Rajouri with rail connectivity. We will also take up a project to connect Uri with the train,” the minister said after the flagging off ceremony.
“The DPRs for these projects have been made, and we will try to get work started soon,” he added.
On the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, the railway minister called it a major landmark achievement, which has become the lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir.
“This train service is a major landmark for people of Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister inaugurated this train service between Katra and Kashmir last year. This train is very popular with 100 per cent occupancy and has become a lifeline for Jammu and Kashmir,” Vaishnaw said.
He said there was a huge demand for increasing the passenger-carrying capacity of the train.
“The eight coaches ran at 100 per cent occupancy, and there was demand to
increase the capacity. Now, it has been made into a 20-coach train,” he said, and noted that the train service benefited the people of Kashmir as it has been used for ferrying goods like cement, cars and bikes.
“I have been told that the prices of cement have dropped by Rs 50 (per bag). Around 2 crore kg (20,000 tons) of apples and other fruits have been transported through train to other parts of the country,” he said.
Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat Express between Jammu and Srinagar can operate in all weather conditions.
“We can run this train in minus 10 degrees Celsius. You saw there was one foot of snow last winter, but the trains still operated. The design of this train incorporates all facilities and advanced features for passenger comfort, making it an all-weather train,” he said.
The minister said this is the first time that a train is being operated at such a high altitude. “This train will facilitate the easy movement of fruits, goods and all other items.” CM Abdullah, while thanking the Railways Minister and the Centre for extending Vande Bharat train services between Jammu and Srinagar.
“I want to congratulate and thank Vaishnaw and, through him, the central government, on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, for connecting Jammu with Kashmir through rail,” Abdullah said, addressing a gathering during the flagging-off ceremony from the Jammu railway station. Highlighting the railway connectivity’s trade benefits, he said goods like cement and cars can be transported, giving a huge boost to business and trade.
“The speciality of this train is that it has not only enabled people like us to travel but has also facilitated the transport of goods such as cement. I was surprised to see Maruti cars being transported to Srinagar and fruits from Kashmir by rail,” he said.
Abdullah also appealed to the railways minister to set up an inland port in Jammu and Kashmir to ease customs clearance for exporting goods from the union territory.
“I have a request for the railways minister, even as it does not pertain to his ministry, but since he has the goodwill, he can use that. I request that an inland port be set up in J&K.
“There is an urgent need for a dry port here so that we do not require customs clearance in other cities for our goods, which we want to export from here. The customs clearance should take place here in J&K, it will benefit our trade and business,” the CM added.
Abdullah said that while he would raise the issue with the Centre, he appealed to the union ministers and the MPs present there to take up the matter with the government.
Talking about the significance of the railway connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu, the CM said the people of J&K had been waiting for it for many years. “For so many years, we had been waiting to travel by train from Jammu to Srinagar. Now, there is no need for us to travel to Katra from Jammu and the other way around via road,” he said.
Abdullah said he had never expected the railway line to become so popular that he would have to seek favours to reserve seats on the train. “Thankfully, now it (train) has been changed from eight bogeys to 20 and while 500 passengers used to travel earlier, now 1,400 people can travel (at once). This is a huge thing for us,” he added.
Jitendra Singh said the direct train service between the twin capitals of Jammu and Kashmir will propel economic growth in the union territory, besides making travel easy for tourists and pilgrims.
“We express our gratitude to the PM. It was due to his efforts that the train between Jammu and Katra became a reality after 42 years, and the direct train between Jammu and Srinagar has now been started,” he added. (Agencies)
