SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the Katra-Baramulla train service in the first week of June, with June 6 being the tentative date, Daily Excelsior reported.
Daily Excelsior that final preparations are underway for the launch of the train service from Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, to Baramulla. The Prime Minister is expected to flag off the train from Katra and virtually from Baramulla. He will also address a rally at Katra Stadium and visit key railway landmarks, including the Chenab rail bridge and the Anji Khad cable-stayed bridge in Reasi district.
Initially, only the Vande Bharat Express will operate between Katra and Baramulla. Direct trains from Delhi or other parts of the country to Kashmir will not begin immediately. Passengers will be required to change trains at Katra, and later at Jammu once station expansion is completed, possibly by August or September.
The launch, originally scheduled for April 19, was delayed due to inclement weather and later by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. The subsequent Operation Sindoor, carried out by Indian forces from May 7-10, also contributed to the delay.
Officials noted that the new train link would benefit the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, which begins on July 3. Special trains may be run in case of highway disruptions caused by Monsoon-triggered landslides on the Jammu-Srinagar route, particularly between Ramban and Banihal.
A fresh security audit of the track has been completed following recent security concerns, with increased deployment of personnel and enhanced infrastructure.
The 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has been implemented in phases. The remaining 17-kilometre stretch between Reasi and Katra was completed three months ago, enabling successful trial runs of trains, including the Vande Bharat.
The entire project has cost around Rs 41,000 crore. On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Katra-Banihal section, marking a key milestone in the project.
Kashmir will receive a specially designed semi-high-speed Vande Bharat train connecting Katra to Srinagar, making it the third Vande Bharat service in Jammu and Kashmir.
