Latest news with #Kashmir-specific
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Chenab bridge: Kashmir's century-old dream comes true as the mountain territory gets rail link to mainland
SRINAGAR: June 6 marks a historic day in Jammu and Kashmir as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the long-awaited train service, fulfilling a century-old dream of linking Kashmir to India's rail network. The train to Kashmir marks a historic milestone in India's engineering and connectivity. The key projects flagged off by PM Modi include two new Kashmir-specific designed special Vande Bharat trains and inaugurate two engineering marvels, the Chenab bridge (world's highest railway bridge which is taller than Eiffel tower) and Anji bridge, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge. '6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth Rs. 46,000 crores are being inaugurated, which will have a very positive impact on people's lives. In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Anji Bridge stands tall as India's first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging,' PM Modi posted on X a day before launch of the Kashmir train. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also said June 6 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. He said it has been a long wait. 'If I say that I have been waiting for this day for a long time, it won't be an exaggeration. This project started when I was in school, maybe in class 7 or 8. Today, my children have also completed their education and are now working,' he said.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
All eyes on Kashmir railway connect
KATRA/SRINAGAR: Festive cheer filled Katra, the base city for the revered Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, ahead of a grand railway inauguration ceremony to be led by Prime Minister Modi on Friday, marking a new era of connectivity for Kashmir and the country. The PM will flag off two new Kashmir-specific, specially designed Vande Bharat trains and inaugurate two engineering marvels: the Chenab Bridge (the world's highest railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower) and the Anji Bridge, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge. 'We are fortunate to witness a new rise in rail services which were earlier not even being thought out by us,' said Nadeem, a young taxi driver, adding, 'Development doesn't disseminate on caste or religion.' The local population expressed immense pride not only in the inauguration of the world's tallest single-arch rail bridge – taller than both the Eiffel Tower and the Qutub Minar – but also in the newly designed Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat trains, which are set to begin commercial operations from June 7. 'I had read in books that a train will ply from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. But it is now going to happen in reality. This is a dream come true. Better late than never,' said a university student, Riyaz Ahmad. Meanwhile, on the eve of the grand inauguration, Modi posted, 'Tomorrow, June 6, is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth Rs 46,000 crore are being inaugurated,' he said.
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First Post
23-04-2025
- First Post
Pahalgam attack leads to massive cancellation of hotel, flight bookings
Following the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, there have been a massive cancellation of bookings of hotels and flights for Kashmir, according to tour and travel operators read more Army soldiers near the house where militants were hiding during an encounter in Ratnipora area of Pulwama district of south Kashmir, Tuesday, Feb 12, 2019. (Representative Photo, Credit: PTI) The Pahalgam terrorist attack has dealt a major blow to Jammu and Kashmir's tourism industry. Travel and tour operators have reported that people have started cancelling bookings for hotels and flights for J&K, particularly the Kashmir region, en masse. In recent years, tourism had rebounded in Kashmir after prolonged shutdowns after the abrogation of Article 370 and then the yearslong slowdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the industry has now got a major blow as security concerns are now expected to prevent tourists from going to Kashmir. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Terrorists killed at least 26 people in the Baisaran area of Pahalgam in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon. Witnesses and sources said that terrorists initially opened indiscriminate fire and then singled out non-Muslims and shot them. This is the worst attack in J&K in many years. Tourists' exodus from Kashmir Kashmir in summer months usually attracts tourists from north India, but bookings are now being cancelled. Ashish Sharma, who runs Delhi-based Skylink Private Limited, told The Indian Express that all tours for the next 10 days have been cancelled. 'At this time of the year, most bookings are from northern states, Gujarat and West Bengal. With such an attack happening, panic spreads among people. All of them have called and cancelled their hotel and other bookings. All the people who were planning to travel by road have cancelled their trips. Some people who were going by air called to cancel tickets, others must be trying to cancel online,' said Sharma added. Furqan Bashir of Hangout Holidays Kashmir said, 'Out of the 10 tours which were scheduled for tomorrow, seven have already been cancelled. Almost all tours scheduled in April have been cancelled. Everyone is calling to cancel their bookings.' One Kashmir-specific travel agent from Delhi told the newspaper that bookings till June are being cancelled. 'We had a tour of nine people departing for Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam tomorrow morning. They called as soon as news of the attack came and cancelled their trip. We are getting calls from people who had booked with us till June. For us, May and the first week of June is the busiest time. Over the past four years, the number of tourists going to Kashmir increased and we have been handling up to 40 tourists per day in mid-May. There is a lot of panic now. I don't think we will have more than a handful of tourists this year,' said this travel agent. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Air India runs special flights, offers full refund Air India has announced that it will offer full refund for bookings on Delhi-Srinagar and Mumbai-Srinagar routes till April 30. Air India has also announced it will run two additional flights from Srinagar to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday. The Srinagar to Delhi flight was scheduled for 11:30 AM and Srinagar to Mumbai flight is scheduled for 12:00 noon.
Indian Express
22-04-2025
- Indian Express
Pahalgam terror attack: Calls for cancellation of hotel & flight bookings flood tour-travel operators
As the news of the Pahalgam terror attack spread, people who had planned trips to Jammu and Kashmir in the near future called their travel agents to cancel hotel and flight bookings. Ashish Sharma, who operates Skylink Private Limited out of Connaught Place, says that all tours scheduled for the next 10 days have been cancelled. 'At this time of the year, most bookings are from northern states, Gujarat and West Bengal. With such an attack happening, panic spreads among people. All of them have called and cancelled their hotel and other bookings,' the 50-year old operator of Skylink said. 'All the people who were planning to travel by road have cancelled their trips. Some people who were going by air called to cancel tickets, others must be trying to cancel online,' Sharma added. He arranged close to 20 tours this past week. Next week was supposed to be better with around 30 tours arranged, all of which stand cancelled now. 'Out of the 10 tours which were scheduled for tomorrow, seven have already been cancelled,' says Furqan Bashir, 36, who operates Hangout Holidays Kashmir. 'Almost all tours scheduled in April have been cancelled. Sabke phone aa rahe hai ki cancel kar do (Everyone is calling to cancel their bookings),' Bashir, whose agency gets bookings from across the country, said. 'We had a tour of nine people departing for Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and Pahalgam tomorrow morning. They called as soon as news of the attack came and cancelled their trip. We are getting calls from people who had booked with us till June,' said the owner of a Kashmir-specific travel agency based in Malviya Nagar. He did not want to be named. 'For us, May and the first week of June is the busiest time. Over the past four years, the number of tourists going to Kashmir increased and we have been handling up to 40 tourists per day in mid-May. There is a lot of panic now. I don't think we will have more than a handful of tourists this year,' he added. Special flights from Srinagar Air India issued a travel advisory announcing that the airline will be operating two additional flights from Srinagar to Delhi and Mumbai on Wednesday, on social media platform X. The flight from Srinagar to Delhi is scheduled at 11.30 am and from Srinagar to Mumbai is at noon. Bookings for the flights are now open, according to the post. 'All our other flights to and from Srinagar will continue to operate as per schedule. Air India is also offering complimentary rescheduling and full refunds on cancellations to passengers with confirmed bookings till 30th April 2025 on these sectors,' the post said.
