SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate the first-ever Vande Bharat Express train to Kashmir on April 19, marking the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project.
Modi will flag off the train from the Katra railway station of the Jammu rail division. After inaugurating the train, he will address a rally in Katra, which serves as a base camp for the pilgrims visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine.
The inauguration of the train will end over 70 years of wait for a direct train service to Kashmir. At present, trains are operational just between Sangaldan and Baramulla in the Valley and from Katra to across the country.
The trial runs of the train from Katra to the Baramulla track have been successful. The Commissioner of Railway Safety, who visited J&K in January, has given the green light to the train service between Katra and Kashmir.
Only one Kashmir-specific Vande Bharat train will ply on the Katra and Srinagar route in the beginning. “More trains will start plying on the route based on the public response,” an official said.
Amid security concerns, the passengers would have to get down at the Katra railway station and board another train from there to continue their journey forward. All persons boarding the train to Srinagar from Delhi or vice versa or from any other part of the country would have to undergo thorough frisking.
Besides, their luggage would be screened at the time of boarding. The luggage would then undergo fresh scanning at departure lounges once the passengers get down at the Katra station. Before they board another train, they would again be subjected to frisking by the security personnel.
Service only during day
The trains will ply on the Kashmir route only during the daytime. No trains would ply during evening hours in the Valley as security deployments are withdrawn in the evening by the agencies.