Srinagar: The Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday conducted the first trial run on a track-mounted vehicle on the world’s highest railway bridge at Bakkal-Kauri over the river Chenab, in Pir Panjal mountain range of Reasi district of Jammu.
The trial run marks a significant milestone in the completion of the Udhampur-Katra-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, which will for the first time in history connect the Kashmir valley to New Delhi and the rest of India by train in January 2024. The Chenab Bridge, which is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, is being anticipated as one of the most magnificent train journeys in the future. After the successful trial run of the track-mounted vehicle, the bridge will soon be operational.
The Minister of Railways was accompanied by Ashutosh Gangal, General Manager, Northern Railway, and other senior officials of U.S.B.R.L. Project & Northern Railway during his official inspection visit to the world’s highest Chenab Bridge.
While talking to the media on the sideline of the trolley run on Chenab bridge the Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw said, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has put a laser-sharp focus on the development of the country, the Chenab bridge, all these tunnels, and this will become a lifeline for Jammu and Kashmir. “He further added that the project will connect the Srinagar district with the rest of the country, and it is a very important strategic development.”
“We are creating a special training academy in Jammu. Wherever our engineers and technicians require training, they can come to this project and have the training, and other parts of the country can also benefit from this project,” said Vaishnaw.
“The completion of the Udhampur-Katra-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project will not only boost tourism in the region but will also provide a reliable and safe mode of transportation for people traveling to and from the Kashmir valley. It will also open up new opportunities for economic development in the region.”
“The project has been a top priority for the government and with the successful trial run of the Chenab Bridge, the completion of the project is now closer than ever before,” he added.
