Opinion | Train to Kashmir: Time to Extend it Upto District Kupwara

In order to connect the valley with a rail link Special emphasis has been given by the government which is indeed a great step

Last month, Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw visited Jammu and Kashmir to review work on the Udhampur-Baramulla rail link project. The minister during his visit assured that Kashmir valley is going to be connected with the country through train service by the end of this year or early next year. The assurance brought happiness on the faces of millions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The new 327-km single railway line from Jammu to Baramulla via Udhampur, Katra, Banihal, Qazigund, and Srinagar is not a dream now. After a few months Kashmir will be completely connected with the rest of the country.The railway line will cut the travel duration between Jammu and Srinagar by three to four hours. Two bridges, one bridge being built over the Chenab River at a height of 359 meters from the riverbed, will be the world’s highest railway bridge and the second one is the first cable-stayed bridge in India being built on the Anji river. India’s highest railway bridge along the Chenab River is an engineering marvel as it is 359 metres above the river bed. Thus, this bridge became 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.These two bridges can be best tourist destinations also. It would be an appropriate step if these two sites are developed as tourist destinations.

A successful trial on this bridge was held a few days ago. Better late than never the government is also making a special Vande Bharat train compatible with the weather conditions of the valley. The interest the central government has shown towards developmental infrastructure is pathbreaking.  In order to connect the valley with a rail link Special emphasis has been given by the government which is indeed a great step. The road connectivity of Kashmir with the country is very hectic and expensive. Day in and day out accidents consume precious lives and thousands of the people became handicapped so far due to these accidents which take place on Srinagar Jammu Highway. During winters the Highway remains closed most of the time for many days due to snowfall and avalanches. Traders experience huge business losses.  Moreover, the condition of the National Highway has become a hurdle in bridging the gaps between Srinagar and Delhi.  As has been rightly stated by a prominent writer of the valley Mr Bashir Sikandar “Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) is undoubtedly a great redressal to the problem hampering merchandise and affecting tourism. If said, it is a revolutionary initiative taken to boost trade and the economy of the state of Jammu & Kashmir is unquestionably the correct assertion. The project is a triumph over the stalemate that had darkened the valley over the last three decades.”
It has been learnt that the central government is going to extend the railway link beyond Baramulla up to Kupwara district. People of this district demand that train services be extended up to Kupwara as soon as possible as the people are dreaming for it since the inception of Udhampur Baramulla railway line. Furtherance of the train service upto Kupwara rather untoTangdhar (LOC area) is need of the hour as it will boost the tourism potential of this beautiful district and people at large will get hugely benefited. As rightly stated by Bashir Sikanadr, a prominent writer hailing from the same district,“The service will render easy access to people to move into other parts of the country and hence will provide opportunities for the employment of the people who live close to borders. The outflow of people from the valley to the other parts of the country is equally significant to the inflow. The connectivity of people of border areas with the rest cultures of the country is also payable. It will expose them to the rich heritage and multiculturalism of our country and will help them understand the beauty of unity in diversity.”
– Author is associated with Kashmir Writers’ Association and can be reached onmnoorkashmir@gmailcom