Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to inaugurate the maiden Vande Bharat Express service connecting Katra to Srinagar during his scheduled visit to the Union Territory. No fresh dates for his visit and the inauguration ceremony has been announced yet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir on April 19 has been postponed, as per an official notification. According to reports, the Prime Minister’s visit has been called off due to an adverse weather forecast for the valley, however, the official notification has not mentioned any reasons. “The proposed visit of the Prime Minister to Jammu and Kashmir stands postponed. Grateful for necessary action,” read the notification issued by the director of the Special Protection Group (SPG).
PM Modi was scheduled to inaugurate Vande Bharat Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was set to inaugurate the maiden Vande Bharat Express service connecting Katra to Srinagar during his scheduled visit to the Union Territory. The introduction of this high-speed was seen as a step towards realising the long-standing goal of integrating Kashmir into the national railway network. Two trains — one from Srinagar to Katra and another in the opposite direction — were slated to operate on the launch day.
However, a successful trial run of the Vande Bharat Express was conducted on Tuesday (April 15) on the Katra-Sangaldan stretch, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL). As per officials, this marks a major milestone in the progress of the 272-kilometre-long project aimed at establishing seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India.
Inauguration of world’s highest railway bridge postponed
During his visit, the Prime Minister was also scheduled to inaugurate the world’s highest railway bridge in Udhampur. The ambitious rail project to connect Kashmir with the rest of India was first initiated in 1997. However, due to challenging geological, geographical, and weather conditions, the project faced multiple delays. The completed rail link will include 119 kilometres of track, with 38 tunnels, the longest being Tunnel T-49 at 12.75 kilometres.
ALSO READ: Jammu and Kashmir: One more group linked with Hurriyat denounces separatism, says Amit Shah