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Watch: Farooq Abdullah takes a ride in Vande Bharat from Srinagar to Katra
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday took his maiden ride in the recently inaugurated Vande Bharat train from Srinagar to Katra township.
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All Seats Booked For Next 10 Days On Kashmir Train Days After Inauguration
Srinagar: It's a booking frenzy for trains to Kashmir. Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train, connecting Kashmir valley with the rest of the country by rail, the train service is seeing an unprecedented rush. Officials said tickets have been sold out and all the seats booked for the next 10 days. The Katra-Srinagar train has transformed connectivity to Kashmir valley. The rail link is an engineering marvel as people rush to experience a journey through the world's tallest rail bridge, the Chenab bridge, and some of the longest rail tunnels. The three-hour journey is a dream for many as it brings Kashmir valley closer to Jammu region and the rest of the country. The Rs 43,000 crore rail project was completed early this year, and PM Modi inaugurated it on Friday last. It has taken more than four decades to complete the massive project that has helped to replace Kashmir's remoteness and a sense of separation with proximity. Although there is no direct train service between Srinagar and Delhi, and passengers have to change trains at Katra, the rail link itself is seen as a major achievement towards integrating Kashmir valley with the rest of the country in a true sense. A day after inauguration, the railways formally started the train service between Katra and Srinagar. From day one, there has been a long waiting list as enthusiastic people tried to catch the first train. Officials said the rush is increasing by the day and two trains between Katra and Srinagar, and vice-versa are falling short to cope with the demand. Before the launch of this train service, the only link between Kashmir valley and the rest of the country was the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH 44), which would often get closed during rain and snowfall. After the launch of the rail service, Kashmir valley will no longer remain "cut off" from the rest of the country, come rain or snow. The rail link is largely paved by tunnels and bridges through the geologically challenging Himalayan mountains.
NDTV
9 hours ago
- NDTV
"Hope Prayers For Peace Will Be Answered": Farooq Abdullah Visits Vaishno Devi
Jammu/Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday returned to Srinagar by the recently launched Vande Bharat Express after an overnight stay at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. "Had a great darshan and I am hopeful that all our prayers for peace, progress and brotherhood at the shrine will be answered so that we can move forward and our country also marches ahead and we become part of its development trajectory," the former chief minister told reporters on his return. The 87-year-old Abdullah took his maiden ride in the Vande Bharat Express, which connects Kashmir to the rest of the country, to reach Katra on Tuesday. He stayed at the sanctum sanctorum overnight and took part in special prayers at the shrine. He was accompanied by his grandsons Zamir and Zahid, Jammu and Kashmir minister Satish Sharma, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and several NC legislators, including chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq. Asked about his overnight stay at the shrine, Abdullah said, "I felt very happy." "I came here by train and this service is a new beginning for us. This will not only benefit the pilgrims coming to visit Mata but also prove beneficial for the pilgrims intending to visit the Amarnath cave shrine and they will also come in large numbers. This will benefit tourism in J&K," he added. Mr Abdullah said this train is a blessing for Jammu and Kashmir which will boost trade and tourism. "The journey was very good. You can see that tourists are also coming. This train is a blessing. It will increase tourism and trade. Our fruits can go outside easily and our people can now travel to any part of India comfortably. "This was a dream which I have seen become a reality in my life," the former chief minister told reporters at the Srinagar railway station. #WATCH | After darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, former CM Farooq Abdullah reached Srinagar on the Vande Bharat train from Katra, he says, "I had a wonderful journey. Tourists are coming. This train is a great blessing. It will increase our tourism and business... Now our people can… — ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2025 Talking to PTI at the shrine late on Tuesday night, minister Sharma said Abdullah expressed his desire to visit the Vaishno Devi shrine during his visit to Mela Kheer Bhawani in Ganderbal on June 3. "We had darshan thrice after reaching this holy town (Katra), which is a great blessing for us... Abdullah walked two to three kilometres to reach the court and we prayed for J&K to get back its lost glory. J&K is India's crown and we want to reach that height again," he said. The minister said they prayed for India's progress at the global level. Mr Sharma described the trip as "historic" and said they will remember it for eternity. He said they also prayed for the victims of the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and shelling by Pakistan. "They (Pakistanis) will never succeed in their nefarious designs. Terrorism is an industry but our brave forces gave them a befitting reply. They will meet the same fate in future if they try to do any mischief," the minister said. NC provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta said Abdullah's visit has sent a positive message across the country and "we are hopeful that the tourism industry, which has suffered a major setback in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack, will be back on track soon". "Abdullah's overnight stay at the shrine saw an immediate increase in the footfall of pilgrims. We are hopeful that this momentum will further increase in the coming days," he said. Gupta said the team attended all the special prayers and all its members, except Abdullah, also visited Bhairon Ghati to offer prayers.
India Gazette
12 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Wonderful journey...": NC Chief Farooq Abdullah returns to Srinagar from Katra in Vande Bharat
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 11 (ANI): National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah reached Srinagar on Wednesday on the Vande Bharat train after darshan at the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine and asserted that he had a 'wonderful journey.' After returning from Srinagar, the NC Chief said, 'I had a wonderful journey. Tourists are coming. This train is a great blessing. It will increase our tourism and business... Now our people can travel to any part of the country. It's a big dream that I have seen being fulfilled in my life. We must remember the God who has given us everything and also those who gave us this train.' Earlier in the day, Farooq Abdullah said that he had a 'good darshan' at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and that he prayed for prosperity and brotherhood in the region. 'I had a good darshan, and I hope that we will get what I prayed for. We want prosperity, unity, and brotherhood. We all want India to grow so that we can be part of that,' the former JK Chief Minister said. 'I am very happy with the train service that has begun. More people will come to receive the darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, and it will help the tourism as well,' he said. On Tuesday, the NC Chief said that the Vande Bharat trains on the USBRL route (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link) are the 'biggest gift' for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it connects the territory with the entire country. Abdullah reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station on Tuesday after travelling on board the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam (Srinagar) Railway Station. Speaking to reporters, the NC chief said that his eyes became 'teary' after the train crossed the Chenab Bridge. Notably, the bridge on the River Chenab, being the highest bridge in the world, is a milestone project for the Indian Railways, which was completed after several ups and downs in a difficult terrain. It connects Kashmir to Jammu and the entire country via rail. 'This is the biggest gift to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the entire country... I had tears in my eyes when I crossed the Chenab Bridge. Finally, the day has come when we can travel to the country from Kashmir by train. I want to congratulate all the workers and engineers who built this bridge...' he said. The two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir, were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6. The new Vande Bharat Express train will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours. These trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. The train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway arch bridge in the world. The architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge, situated 359 metres above the river, is the world's highest railway arch bridge. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. The USBRL project is 272 kilometres long, constructed worth around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. (ANI)
