Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday dedicated the 25-km-long rail line linking Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, with the rest of the country by flagging off a Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) from Jammu.
Before the formal ceremony schoolchildren waving the national flag greeted Modi and other leaders. The students were excited as they were travelling on a train for the first time in their lives.
Elaborate security arrangements were in place for the high-profile inauguration ceremony in and around Katra town. The road link connecting Katra with the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway was dotted with snipers atop Rakshak vehicles. Quick reaction teams were also stationed along the route to prevent any militant strike.
Dedicating the Katra rail line to the people of the country at platform No.1 of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Station, the Prime Minister said it was not only a gift for the people of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) but for the whole nation.
“Today Jammu & Kashmir will get both speed and energy as I am inaugurating this rail line and a power project later in the day. On one side the Amarnath Yatra is on and on the other Ramzan is being observed. During this auspicious time this new facility has come up for devotees to connect to Mata Vaishno Devi,” Modi said, suggesting that the train be called Shri Shakti Express.
He congratulated the people of the nation and said the vital rail link will fulfil the aspirations of the people across the nation. He said the Katra Railway Station, equipped with modern facilities for passengers would soon be developed as one of the most eco-friendly railway stations of the country, with solar energy.
Modi also shared his vision of modernising railway infrastructure across metro cities and important tourist destinations. Union Railway Minister Sadanand Gowda, State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, J&K Governor NN Vohra, MoS (PMO) Jitendra Singh and MoS (Railways) Manoj Sinha were also present on the occasion along with senior Railway officers including Chairman Railway Board Arunendra Kumar.
Elaborating on his vision for Indian Railways, Modi said: “We want railway stations to have better facilities than airports. This is our dream and it is not a difficult thing to do. This is economically viable too. I have discussed it in detail with my Railway friends. You will see a change in the near future.”Modi said private parties would also be ready to invest because this is a good project economically and will benefit everyone. “This would be a win-win project and we want to move ahead in this direction in the coming days,” he said.
Trying to strike an emotional chord with the people of the State, Modi claimed that winning the hearts of the people of J&K was the top priority of his Government. He said the State has gone through many problems and difficulties and the country wanted it to be prosperous and peaceful.“I assure you that there will be no shortage or obstacle in the development of Jammu,” he added.
He said the Railway Ministry and the State Government would tie up and issue a hybrid ticket to devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi so that they can also visit tourist destinations in Kashmir Valley. After performing darshan in the holy cave if pilgrims wish to visit Kashmir they can be issued a bus ticket up to Banihal and from there they can again board a local train to reach their final destination and vice versa.
After the launch of the train service to Katra the Railway Ministry would be running six trains from Katra station to different destinations in the country and three sets of local trains would also be running from Jammu to the station. Places like Varanasi, Kalka, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad are scheduled to be connected directly with the rail link to Katra in the coming days.
The national transporter is also considering extending Jammu Mail and Sampark Kranti Express up to Katra. Speaking on the occasion Omar Abdullah welcomed the new rail link and said that it will help the pilgrims to Vaishno Devi.Omar also raised the need for expediting work on the Katra-Banihal link in his speech and demanded an upgrade for the railway station in Jammu city.
Railway Minister Gowda said the Ministry is committed to balanced development of railway networks throughout the region. Gowda said better connectivity will provide opportunities to local artisans, traders and students alike.