Ladakh is safe for travel, says Hill Council following ‘unsafe' rumours
SRINAGAR: Amid concerns among tourists about the security situation in the Union territories of J&K and Ladakh in the aftermath of the
Pahalgam terror strike
last month,
Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council
(LAHDC) Leh and the Ladakh UT administration on Saturday said that Ladakh was safe for travel and urged visitors to ignore misinformation circulating in the public domain portraying the region as unsafe.
While meeting a delegation of tour and travel operators of Ladakh UT who raised this issue with LAHDC Leh CEC Tashi Gyalson and DC Leh Santosh Sukhadeve, Gyalson said the region was safe for travel and requested tourists to disregard rumours. Gyalson said LAHDC was committed to promoting tourism and would ensure all necessary support for the security and well-being of visitors.
Responding to the delegation's request for the early opening of Leh-Manali road, Gyalson said he had informed the Border Roads Organisation to restore the route, and efforts were underway to open it at the earliest.
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Hindustan Times
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Javid Ahmed wasn't expecting tourists at Srinagar station on a Saturday. 'We haven't had more than a handful of tourists for the past few weeks,' said the 29-year-old taxi driver. 'Business has been lean since Pahalgam.' But on a quiet Eid afternoon, a gleaming hulk of metal and glass rumbled into the deserted Srinagar station with over 500 passengers, catching shopkeepers, hawkers and taxi drivers — accustomed to mostly seeing train riders from within the valley — by surprise. This was a train from Jammu. The Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar made its inaugural journeys on Saturday, bridging Kashmir with India's rail network — the culmination of a decades-long project that overcame steep engineering challenges and evolving political considerations. Passengers emphasised that the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat, which takes less than three hours for a 190km trip, would reorient travel between Kashmir and the rest of India, making what was either an expensive or arduous journey significantly cheaper, faster and more reliable. 'The highway routes between the two regions are at the mercy of weather and topography,' said Kishore Uppal, who works in Baramulla and lives in Jammu. 'The narrow roads mean you could be stuck for hours even if a bus breaks down on a bend,' said the 66-year-old, who bought a ticket as soon as bookings opened. 'Travelling between home and work has always been a challenge for me. Flights are too expensive, especially during peak seasons. This train changes that completely,' said Uppal. But the two Chennai-made train sets, which run between Katra and Srinagar twice daily, may offer more than logistical relief. 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On its journey, the train cuts through stunning terrain, slicing through steep mountains, treacherous gorges and lush valleys. The first half passes through numerous tunnels, but passengers spring to the windows the moment the train emerges, phones ready. It also zips over the 1,315m-long Chenab bridge, sandwiched between Himalayan rockfaces and overlooking the imposing river more than 350m below. Many said they hurriedly rearranged their Eid schedules just to board the train. 'We actually had different plans for Eid,' said Aarif Hussain, who lives in Srinagar and was travelling with his family. 'But when we heard the trains were launching on Saturday, we booked a round-trip. We took the Vande Bharat from Srinagar to Katra, then caught the next one for the return journey,' said the 25-year-old UPSC aspirant. 'The train really is a game-changer for us. Road travel was inconvenient because of the unpredictability and discomfort. People get caught in landslides for days. And a one-way ticket from Srinagar to Jammu can cost upwards of ₹25,000 at peak times,' he said. Kashmir has waited years for this train, said Hussain. Work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) spanned over three decades, since the project was commissioned in 1994-95. Modi's inauguration of the 63km link between Katra and Sangaldan in Jammu was the final piece, giving Kashmir its first rail connection with the rest of the country. Previously, people wanting to traverse the two regions could only take local trains between Sangaldan town in Jammu and Baramulla in Kashmir. Azhar Hussain, who lives in Srinagar, said the link would simplify commerce between the regions. The flow of apples from Kashmir to Jammu would be vastly streamlined, said the 32-year-old, who works in agro-chemicals. 'When freight services begin on this link, they will hugely ease industry headaches. Right now, apples can take three or four days to reach Jammu. 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This train and this line will, if nothing else, mean people come to Kashmir more freely, more often,' said Aarif Hussain. 'And that's an important first step.' The service will expand over the coming months depending on demand, said railway officials. 'The infrastructure to expand the service is in place. Customer demand will dictate how soon we roll out those options,' said a Jammu division railway official who requested anonymity. But in an otherwise jubilant Vande Bharat, nine-year-old Viraj Thakur insisted he had a valid complaint. 'There are so many tunnels. How do I look outside?'
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3:45 The Prime Minister is set to visit Jammu and Kashmir, his first since the Pahalgam attack. He will inaugurate the Chenab Bridge and flag off the Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar. This rail link, envisioned 42 years ago, is expected to boost the region's economy, particularly benefiting the horticulture industry and tourism sector. The world's highest railway bridge is described as an engineering marvel, overcoming geographical challenges.
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PM Modi Waves Tiranga At Chenab Bridge Inauguration, Sends Strong Message Post-Pahalgam Attack
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, on Friday and patted the backs of engineers and construction workers who made this unprecedented project possible. PM Modi is set to launch multiple projects worth over Rs 48,000 crore during the current Jammu and Kashmir visit, his first after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. However, the moment that captured everyone's attention amid the launch of a slew of projects was the waving of the national flag at the world's highest bridge by PM Modi. #WATCH | J&K: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves the Tiranga as he inaugurates Chenab bridge - the world's highest railway arch bridge.#KashmirOnTrack (Video: DD) — ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2025 Soon after inaugurating the engineering marvel, PM Modi took a walk on the bridge, built above the Chenab river and proudly flaunted the Tiranga, wearing his patriotic spirit on his sleeves. PM Modi's gesture gives a befitting reply to the Pahalgam attack plotters and also sends a strong message to Pakistan while reiterating the Indian government's strong resolve to revive tourism in the Valley, which suffered a major jolt after the cowardly terror attack. Chenab bridge is the world's highest railway arch bridge, which will connect Kashmir with the rest of the country and will ensure all-weather connectivity. It can withstand earthquakes and also the harshest temperatures during winters, where mercury dips to sub-zero levels. After the Chenab Railway bridge inauguration, PM Modi also watched a photo exhibition, chronicling the technical hardships faced during the construction of the bridge. He also interacted with the engineers and workers who braved all odds of harsh weather and topography to complete the world's tallest bridge at 359 metres, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower of Paris. The Chenab Bridge is praised as an architectural marvel, standing 359 metres above the river. This 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge is designed to withstand seismic activity and strong winds.
