Farooq Abdullah visits Vaishno Devi after Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat ride: ‘Mata ne bulaya hai'
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took his first ride on the newly inaugurated Vande Bharat Express from Srinagar to Katra on Tuesday and said he was 'overwhelmed' to see Kashmir finally connected to India's rail network.
Donning a sun-visor hat, Farooq Abdullah boarded the train from Nowgam Railway Station in Srinagar. He was greeted at the Katra terminal — the base camp for Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrims — by deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary and Jammu NC president Rattan Lal Gupta.
"Mata ne bulaya hai. Aaya hai bulawa shera wali ka" said National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah as he reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station on the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam Railway Station.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah said he was teary eyed seeing the development and expressed hope that the new rail link would facilitate a greater influx of Amarnath pilgrims to the 3,880-metre-high holy cave shrine, with this year's yatra set to begin on July 3.
'This is the biggest benefit for us,' Abdullah said, calling the development a major milestone for trade, tourism, and the emotional bond between regions.
'My heart is overwhelmed and my eyes filled with tears on seeing Kashmir finally getting connected with the country's rail network. I congratulate the engineers and the workers for making it happen,' Abdullah told reporters.
On June 6, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat trains — one from Srinagar to Katra and the other in the reverse direction — completing the ambitious 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link, which connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.
Calling it 'the biggest victory for the people,' he said the train would make travel easier, promote business, and strengthen 'love and friendship' between Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country.
'We hope that the yatris from across the country will use the facility to turn up in large numbers for darshan at Amarnath cave shrine during the upcoming pilgrimage,' he said.
Among Abdullah's companions on the Vande Bharat journey were his grandsons, Zamir and Zahir; J&K minister Satish Sharma; chief minister's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani; and NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq.
'Took our first train ride from Srinagar to Katra — truly impressed! The journey crosses the iconic Anji bridge and weaves through stunning tunnels. A remarkable experience,' Sadiq posted on X, sharing photos of the trip.
Farooq Abdullah said the train's potential to transform logistics in Kashmir, particularly for the horticulture sector.
'The train will help transport horticulture produce from Kashmir to different markets in the country, including the far-off Kanyakumari, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Bihar,' he said.
Speaking earlier in Srinagar, Farooq Abdullah described the train as a more dependable transport link, especially compared to the road route that often gets blocked and forces people to pay inflated airfare prices.
'With this train, people will be saved from that,' he noted. 'It will also benefit tourists visiting Kashmir.'
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