Vande Bharat trains will be introduced in the Kashmir valley once the Jammu-Srinagar railway lines becomes operational within this financial year, Railway minister Abhinav Vaishnaw said.
New Delhi: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday announced that Vande Bharat trains will soon be introduced in Kashmir valley. Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat services are expected to be introduced in Srinagar within this financial year after the Jammu-Srinagar line becomes functional.
“Once the Jammu to Srinagar railway line is completed very soon Vande Bharat will also be run on that,” Vaishnaw told news agency PTI, adding that the Jammu-Srinagar railway line is expected to start within this financial year.
Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat trains have a unique design which allows it to run very smoothly in those temperatures and altitude.
The minister said the semi-high speed train will also serve the people of Tripura once the railway line to the northeastern state gets electrified.
“In Tripura, the railway line will get electrified shortly, then we will be able to provide Vande Bharat services to Tripura,” Vaishnaw said.
The central government plans to roll out 75 Vande Bharat trains by March next year and is also keen to run sleeper versions of the trains on long-distance routes as an alternative to Rajdhani Express trains.
According to a survey, Vande Bharat express trains have been popular amongst the youth and senior citizens alike for comfort and speed.
The Railway Minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken personal interest in the development of the northeastern region and Jammu and Kashmir where railway services were being expanded in a big way.
Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off two new trains in the Northeast region, extended the services of two others as well as inaugurated a Vistadome coach of a train in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the new trains connects Guwahati and Dullabcherra in Assam, and it was simultaneously flagged off by the railway minister through video-conferencing from Delhi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati, the Ministry of Railways said in a statement.
The other new train is a diesel multiple unit (DEMU) that will connect Agartala and Sabroom in Tripura, it said.
The service of the Guwahati-Secunderabad Express has been extended beyond the Guwahati station to connect Silchar in Assam to Secunderabad in Telangana. Similarly, the service of the Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak Express from Mumbai has been extended to Tripura capital Agartala. The Kamakhya station is in Guwahati.
In Jammu and Kashmir, the Vistadome coach in the Budgam-Banihal train was inaugurated by Vaishnaw through video-conferencing from Delhi and the Union Territory’s Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, at the Nowgam railway station.
The coach has rotating seats and glass roof and windows that offer a 360-degree view.
Speaking on the occasion, the railway minister said, “In the last nine years, Northeastern states and Jammu Kashmir have changed a lot and the change is discernible on the ground.”
“The prime minister (Narendra Modi) has visited the Northeast region more than 60 times which is higher than the visits of prime ministers before him,” Vaishnaw said.
He added that “after the abrogation of Article 370, the development of Jammu and Kashmir is moving at a fast pace. Recently, meetings of the G20 were held in Jammu and Kashmir.”
Various railway projects are underway in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, the minister said. The railways has allotted an annual budget of around Rs 10,269 crore for the Northeast, while earlier it was around Rs 2,122 crore, he said.
“Railway projects are progressing swiftly in Northeastern states. Two Vande Bharat trains are also planned for the Northeast. In Jammu and Kashmir, work has been completed on the Chenab Bridge, Anji Bridge, and tunnels have been completed except in some portions. The railways is working for the overall transformation of Northeastern states,” Vaishnaw said.
Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Sinha said that the Vistadome coach of the Banihal-Budgam train will attract tourists in large numbers. There has been a substantial boost in tourism in recent times, he said.
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha thanked Prime Minister Modi and the railway minister for augmenting rail connectivity in the state. “It will boost connectivity in remote areas and give impetus to trade and tourism in the state,” he said.
Sarma said that the prime minister has laid stress on the development of Jammu and Kashmir and Northeastern states since he assumed office.
“It is an important day as Assam is getting extension of one train to the Barak Valley, and one train is being extended to Agartala, and one train is being introduced to the remote area of Dullabcherra. I thank the prime minister and railway minister for these initiatives,” he said.
On the inauguration of the Vistadome coach, National Conference leader and MP Farooq Abdullah said it is a very good initiative for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Expressing hope that Kashmir will be connected with the railway network by next year, he said, “God willing, it (railway line) will be connected with Katra next year and then a person can travel from here to any corner of the country and people can come here from there.”
(With PTI inputs)