Vande Bharat to reduce Jammu-Srinagar journey to just 3 hours
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, Dec 19
The work on the Udhampur-Banihal rail link, connecting the country with Kashmir, is in its final phase and is expected to be completed next year. The Central Government has already prepared to run trains on this route, and the Railway Board has ordered racks for the semi high-speed Vande Bharat train from the rail coach factory in Chennai.
It is clear that as soon as the construction is completed, the modern Vande Bharat train will start operating on this route. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw following the issuance of this order. Currently, the Vande Bharat is operational from Delhi to Katra.
It should be noted that the work to connect Kashmir via rail is ongoing. Trains have already reached Katra, and the railway track from Baramulla in Kashmir to Banihal in the Jammu division has been laid previously. Presently, the construction of the 111-kilometer rail link from Katra to Banihal is underway, most of which passes through bridges and tunnels. The work on the world’s highest railway bridge and India’s longest tunnel on this route has been completed. Hence, the government is making efforts to connect Kashmir to the rest of the country by rail at the earliest.
The Railway Board has sent an order to the factory in Chennai on Tuesday for six Vande Bharat Express trains, one of which is for the under-construction Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link. The decision of the Ministry of Railways also clarifies that actions are being taken to dedicate the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link to the country soon.
After the completion of the rail link, the journey to Kashmir will become more comfortable. Once the Vande Bharat train starts, the journey from Jammu to Srinagar will be completed in three hours, which currently takes six hours by road under normal conditions and even longer if there is a highway jam. This train will pass through the world’s highest arch bridge, which is over 1,000 feet high and 1,315 meters long.
It is reported that the coaches of this train, heading to Kashmir, are being equipped with a heating system to prevent water lines from freezing in winter. The maximum speed of this train will be 180 kilometers per hour.
