Kashmir’s dream to be connected by rail finally came true after a specially designed Vande Bharat Express arrived here on Saturday for a formal launch after completing its trial run.
The train to Srinagar has ended a 126-year-long wait for Kashmir to be connected to the country’s rail grid.
Designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging winter conditions, the train chugged into Srinagar station in Nowgam on the city’s outskirts from Katra in Jammu. The train had arrived in Jammu from Delhi on Friday.
Dozens of cheering residents thronged Srinagar station to catch a glimpse of the orange-and-grey train, which arrived at 11.30am before proceeding to Budgam.
An official said the trial run was a success.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the train from Katra. The date of the flagging-off ceremony is yet to be announced.
The 272km Udhampur-Baramulla rail project was first proposed by Dogra ruler Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1898. A preliminary survey was done but the project was shelved because of the huge costs involved.
Tracks were laid till Udhampur, 65km ahead of Jammu, in 1983 but no real progress was made until then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared it a national project in 2001 and set a completion deadline of 2007.
Over the years, the project was completed and commissioned in batches on both the Jammu and Kashmir sides. The project faced the most daunting challenge in the middle section, which traverses through high mountains and streams.
The last 17km stretch connecting Katra, Vaishno Devi base camp and Reasi got the green light recently, prompting a series of trial runs.
Officials said the Railway Board unveiled a specially designed Vande Bharat Express, which incorporates special climate-related features, on June 8 last year.
The train has additional features to meet operational challenges in the extreme weather conditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
A railway official said the train has advanced heating systems to prevent the freezing of water and bio-toilet tanks, provides warm air for the vacuum system and ensures optimal functioning of the air-brake system for smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures.
The train also features embedded heating elements in the windshield to automatically defrost the driver’s front lookout glass, ensuring clear visibility in harsh winters.
The railways have conducted six trial runs on various sections of the track, including crucial milestones such as the country’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, the Anji Khad bridge and the iconic arch bridge over the Chenab at Kauri.
The 473-metre Anji Khad bridge, a critical part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, is an engineering achievement, featuring a single pylon rising 331 metres above the river bed.
The Chenab bridge at Kauri, reportedly the world’s highest railway bridge at 359 metres above the river bed, is another major marvel.