JAMMU : Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the train to Kashmir valley will ensure all weather connectivity and boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities.  His statement comes a day ahead of inauguration of train services to Kashmir from Katra Railway Station by him marking end to years-long wait for the people to ride on train to the Valley.

The Prime Minister will flag off Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar and simultaneously from Srinagar to Katra tomorrow creating history as it will link the Valley by train for which the people waited for several years.

Before flagging off the trains, Modi will visit highest rail bridge over river Chenab, which is 35 meters taller than Eiffel Tower of France and India’s first Cable Stayed bridge over Anji Khad and ride in train up to Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji shrine. He will address a massive rally at Katra Stadium.

“The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project ensures all weather connectivity and the Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities,’’ the Prime Minister wrote on X tagging post of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in which he mentioned his visit to tallest railway bridge in the world earlier in the day to review arrangements for Narendra Modi’s visit.Jammu and Kashmir real estate

Asserting that 6th June is indeed a special day for his sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister said key infrastructure projects worth Rs 46,000 crore are being inaugurated which will have a very positive impact on people’s lives.

Making a mention of highest railway bridge over river Chenab in Reasi district, Modi said: “in addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab rail bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar’’.

Similarly, he said, the Anji bridge stands tall as India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging.

Omar’s tweet, which the Prime Minister tagged along with his post on X, read: “Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, the Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow. Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the Valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the PM’’.

Meanwhile, a multi-tier security setup has been put in place for Modi’s visit to Katra tomorrow. This will be the his first visit to the Union Territory during Operation Sindoor launched by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 persons, mostly tourists, dead on April 22.

Officials said a high security alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir in view of the Prime Minister’s visit with senior police, paramilitary officers, Army and intelligence officers personally monitoring the situation.

Heavy security deployments have been made in and around the venues with latest gadgets, including drones deployed to keep a close vigil, the officials said, adding the security grid on the borders and the hinterland has been further beefed up to check infiltration and movement of anti-national and subversive elements.Jammu dining guideJammu and Kashmir real estate

The area domination and raids on the houses of suspected persons including Over Ground Workers and relatives of terrorists operating from across the border have also been intensified as part of the security arrangements, the officials said.

Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the Chenab bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji bridge, the symbol of India’s engineering excellence before flagging off Vande Bharat trains to mark the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the Valley.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore at Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Reasi district.

The 272- km long USBRL project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration.

He will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various road projects.

Out of the total 272-km USBRL project, 209-km was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009 followed by 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1-km long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February, last year.

The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total 17-km stretch between Reasi and Katra and this section was finally completed in December 2024.

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