The Prime Minister Shri Narender Modi today dedicated to the nation the newly constructed railway line between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Udhampur in the state of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). Shri Modi also flagged off first train –a DMU – from newly constructed Shri Mata Vaishnodevi Katra Railway Station at a programme held at Katra, The Guests of Honour present at the function included Shri N. N. Vohra, Governor of J&K and Shri Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of J&K. The function was presided over by Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda, Minister of Railways. The distinguished guests included Shri Manoj Sinha, Minister of State for Railways, Government of India and Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology, Earth Science & Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances, & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, Government of India.  Chairman Railway Board, Shri. Arunendra Kumar, Member Engineering Railway Board Shri V. K. Gupta, General Manager, Northern Railway & North Central Railway Shri Pradeep Kumar, Senior officials of Railways and J&K State Government were among those present on the occasion.

Following is the text of Minister of Railways Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda:-

“I am greatly honoured to be here in this holy abode of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi and to be part of this historic occasion.  Linking of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine with Indian Railways Network has been a dream for many, not only in this part of the country, but for the whole nation. At this outset I wholeheartedly thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on behalf of Indian Railways for having come here and inaugurating this great facility of Rail link to the Holy Place of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. The Rail connectivity to this holy place of Katra will occupy a pride of place on the rail map of the country.  The linkage will provide an opportunity to large number of pilgrims who had aspired throughout their life to visit this revered shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi through the comfort of Railways.  Visiting this revered shrine and seeking the Goddess blessing is a dream of every devout pilgrim.  The Rail linkage will mark a milestone in the Railway’s effort towards fulfilling the aspirations of common public. 

This state of Jammu & Kashmir occupies a special place in every Indian’s heart. This State which has been a birth place of early civilization, is a mosaic of colourful and harmonious culture with vibrant social fabric.  The linkage to the valley will enable every Indian to visit this wonderful place through the comfort of Railways and appreciate the God’s gift to this country. 

Rail transport in the country has brought economic and social development leading to greater economic growth by opening new avenues of employment, trade, industrial development.  I am sure the Rail connectivity to Katra will provide better opportunities for local artisans, traders and student community. Under the able and effective leadership of Shri Narendra Modi ji, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, this Valley of Kashmir will be heralded with a new hope and development in all spheres of the governance and the State in toto.

The Rail link is a triumph of every Indian spirit to overcome the arduous hurdles of nature for reaching the people in this far-flung area.  The Rail link is a result of many aspiration and dreams of the people of this country and had been made possible through tremendous perseverance and hard work of not only the Railway work force, but for many other supporting organizations who have worked day and night to fulfill this dream. Technically, this 26 km long Udhampur-Katra rail link was a challenge as more than 40% of the route is on tunnels having 7 major bridges and steep curves.   To conquer the hilly Shivalik ranges, innovative approaches were adopted to ensure highest standards of operations and safety. My salutations to every officer, engineer and staff of Indian Railways and all the persons who contributed through their sweat and labour for their commendable job in executing this project. The Rail project has enabled permanent jobs for 700 persons whose land was taken over for the project.  As part of the project, 235 kms  approach roads to work sites have been constructed which will provide road connectivity to far flung villages in the State benefitting huge rural population of the State. 

I am aware that since Katra to Banihal Rail project is yet to be commissioned, full rail connectivity to Kashmir valley is currently unavailable.  To overcome this missing link, Railways had planned to bridge this link through Rail cum Road facility in collaboration with Jammu & Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation.  This facility will enable direct connectivity between Srinagar and rest of India to commuters. Earlier the introduction of rail services in Kashmir Valley has been a great success and considering the huge demand, Railways have not only enhanced the carrying capacity of DEMU trains from 8 to 12 Coaches, but have also planned 4 more pairs of enhanced services in the Kashmir Valley thereby providing a safe, affordable and comfortable option of transport to people in this State.

 I am also happy to announce that 3 pairs of train services currently between Jammu to Udhampur will be extended to Katra.  The Railway has also planned to run 3 pairs of Express trains from New Delhi, Kalka, Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Bangalore. Indian Railways is committed for ensuring a balanced development of different regions of the country through Rail transport.  With the opening of the Rail linkage and by increasing the frequency of Rail services, I am sure there will be a definitive thrust to development in Jammu & Kashmir enabling economic development and greater investment opportunities. 

I am grateful to His Excellency, the Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Vohraji, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri Omar Abdullah ji for their valuable time, my colleagues Dr Jitender Singh ji and MLA Shri Baldev Raj ji. On this occasion, I am thankful to the Honourable Prime Minister for being part of this momentous occasion as his presence and guidance will encourage us to fulfill its commitments to the people of this country and specially the people of Jammu and Kashmir.  Thank you. Jai Hind.”

The Katra – Udhampur section is a part of ambitious 326 Killometer long Udhampur- Katra-Quazigund- Srinagar -Baramulla  Railway Line (USBRL) Project of Northern Railway and will provide seamless flow of rail traffic through Jammu to Katra via Udhampur through the entire Indian Railways network.  The newly constructed Udhampur - Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Rail Line is 25.6 km. long, consisting of the 9.4 km. long Udhampur- Chak Rakhwal and 15.5 km. long Chak Rakhwal- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra sections. This railway line connects the important towns of Jammu region also. Of the towns in Jammu region, Katra, a tehsil of district Reasi, has great importance because this is the place from where the faithful commence their pilgrimage to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. So far this town was connected with Jammu Tawi, where devotees usually congregate from all over the country, only through National Highway 1-A. With the completion of the Udhampur-Katra railway line, there is now another mode of mass transportation available to the pilgrims.

            This Railway alignment passes through unstable geological formations and highly undulating and difficult hilly terrain of Shivalik & Trikuta ranges of Himalayas. It crosses a number of rivers, nallahs, canals, channels and khads in addition to number of roads, cart paths and footpaths. This rail section serves the district of Udhampur & Reasi. This section has 10.9 km of tunneling, one important, 7 major and 29 minor bridges. The station on this section is Chakrakhwal in addition to Udhampur and Katra. The construction of the rail line necessitated building of 12 ROB/RUBs in addition to about 38.86 lac cum of earthwork. The approx. cost of this rail section is Rs. 1132.75 crore upto 31^st March 2014.  The bridge on River Jhajjar is the longest Steel Girder Bridge in India with a height of 85 m and with two spans of 154m each. The rail section has 22 curves with the sharpest curve at 5^O. The construction of the entire permanent way and structures on this rail section was a challenging task.  Tunnel No. 23 is the longest tunnel on the section at 3.1 km. and it has ballast less track between Udhampur and Chak Rakhwal station.

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station is provided with modern passenger conveniences. It is a four line crossing station. Platform No. 1, 2 & 3 the main passenger train dealing platforms are 550m long high level Platform each with 400 m long platform shelter.   To facilitate passengers for going from platform no.1 to platform no 2 & 3 and exit from station from Platform No.1, two Foot-over-Bridges, with one side ramp and other side stairs are provided. Lifts have also been provided to facilitate passengers for going from platform no.1 to exit from station. One escalator connecting station building and PF-1 is also provided. Sufficient water booths are provided on all platforms. Public conveniences, water taps, benches, etc. are also provided on all the platforms. One through FOB has been provided for the local people of the town.

The construction of the USBRL project has other benefits for the local residents. More than 235 kms of approach roads are being built along construction sites for carrying of construction material. These roads will benefit the villagers of far-flung areas which had no roads previously. Also 700 of landowners from whom more than 75% of their land was acquired for this project have been given a permanent job in the Railways. At present trains run up to Udhampur via Jammu from the Indian Railway network to terminate there. After the commissioning of Udhampur-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra section, trains will  start operating  upto Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, providing an- all weather connectivity with significantly reduced travel time.

Falling in difficult and mountainous terrain, the State of Jammu & Kashmir has always been a challenge to transportation providers. Other factors which increase the difficulty in providing modes of mass transportation is that the area is geologically unstable, prone to tremors and earthquakes, with deep gorges alternating steep, rocky mountains. For any construction activity, the weather is quite inclement. Long months of incessant rains and heavy snow can put life on hold. Despite these constraints, the lure of the beauty of this area has not been contained. Northern Railway has worked in these circumstances and has constructed the most modern railway line in the Kashmir Valley which provides economical, all weather connectivity, the Banihal – Baramulla railway line which is a part of the 326 km. long Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund – Srinagar – Baramulla  railway line (USBRL).  This railway line is a project of National importance. The present approximate estimated cost of the USBRL project is Rs 19565 Cr. So far, about Rs. 9666.71 cr has been spent upto 31^st March, 2014.

Once completed, the entire network of Indian Railway will be connected to the Kashmir Valley.  The Kashmir Valley railway is a 119 km long railway line that became completely operational in October 2009. It connects Baramulla in the western part of Kashmir Valley to Quazigund at the other end of the Valley, via Srinagar. This line has been extended to Banihal through a tunnel T-80 which pierces through the Pir Panjal range, thus providing an- all weather connectivity to Kashmir Valley with the Jammu Region.  The residents of the area appreciate the promise of all weather connectivity, especially when other facilities grind to a halt in deep snow.

With the completion of this Udhampur – Katra Section the Kashmir Valley has reached a step closer to being connected to the remaining Indian Railway network. The construction of this rail project despite heavy hurdles signifies the dedication and resolution of Northern Railway in providing rail connectivity to the farthest corners in its jurisdiction.

AKS/HK/KD/RV