The first Vande Bharat train is going to start in the valleys of Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off this newly launched Jammu-Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express from Katra on April 19 and with this the 272 km long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail connectivity project will also be completed. Giving information about the train, the officials said that initially it will be operated from Katra itself because repair and renovation work is going on at Jammu railway station. Once it is ready, it will be operated from Jammu again.According to railway officials, the Railway Safety Commissioner had approved the train service between Katra and Kashmir. With the start of this train service, the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar will also be reduced considerably. Not only this, the start of a modern rail service like Vande Bharat will also develop the tourism sector.Talking to reporters about this, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, “Prime Minister Modi will reach Udhampur on April 19. He will visit and inaugurate the world’s highest railway bridge. After this, he will flag off the Vande Bharat train from Katra.”With the green signal given by PM Modi, the long-standing demand for direct rail facility by the people of Kashmir will also be fulfilled. At present, trains operate only between Sangaldan and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley and from Katra to the whole country.Officials, while highlighting the history of the project, said that the ambitious project to connect Kashmir by rail started in 1997 itself but its completion was delayed due to geological, geographical and weather related challenges. The project includes 38 tunnels of a total length of 119 km, the longest of which is T-49 which is 12.75 km long. It is also the longest transport tunnel in the country. The project also includes 927 bridges whose total length is 13 km. These include the iconic Chenab Bridge, which has a total length of 1,315 metres. Its arch is 467 metres and it is 359 metres above the river bed. Being 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower, it will be the world’s highest arch railway bridge (arch bridge).Now the journey from Katra to Srinagar can be completed in just 3 hours, because with the running of Vande Bharat, travel on this route will become very easy. After the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla (USBRL) project, the wait of many years will now end. According to the information, running Vande Bharat between Jammu and Srinagar will save many hours of passengers. Currently, the journey by road takes 6 to 7 hours. At present, a plan has been made to run Vande Bharat between Katra and Srinagar. Currently, trains ply from Srinagar to Sangaldan in the valley. Now after the railway line from Sangaldan to Katra is operational, these trains can be run till Katra.Talking on this topic Ramesh Thapar a civil engineer said”The launch of Vande Bharat Express in Jammu and Kashmir is a historic and important step, which will not only facilitate regional traffic but will also prove to be a milestone in infrastructure development. The 119 km long tunnels and 927 bridges built under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail connectivity project, including the world’s highest Chenab bridge, show how many challenges and innovations are involved in this project from a technical point of view. This railway route has been built overcoming geological and geographical problems, which is a matter of pride for a civil engineer. The service of Vande Bharat will reduce travel time, which will also increase economic development and tourism in Kashmir. This project is a proof of Indian capability and innovation in the field of civil engineering.”
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