The son of a former legislator who dreamed of connecting kashmir to India's railway community five decades ago witnessed history unfold on friday as prime minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail Link (USBRL) and flagged off the first Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar.
Peer Jalaludin, a former Baramulla mayor and senior PDP chief, watched with emotion as the education that his father had estimated more than 50 years ago eventually became truth. "My father changed into a meeting member from Baramulla from 1965 to 1971. He had raised this question within the then legislative meeting that Baramulla and srinagar should get educated connectivity with the relaxation of the U.S. "At that point it gave the look of a not possible component," said Jalaludin, now in his early 60s.
The inauguration marks a watershed second for the kashmir Valley, imparting all-climate connectivity that has eluded the area for decades. Political leaders across celebration strains, business groups, and residents have hailed the development as transformative.
The 272-kilometer rail hyperlink, initiated in 1999 and declared a countrywide task in 2002, features the world's highest railway arch bridge—the Chenab Bridge. The mission encompasses 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, representing what the authorities defined as "India's boldest step yet in remodeling connectivity inside the Himalayas."
Jammu and kashmir Chief minister Omar Abdullah termed friday "a landmark day" for the union territory. Former leader minister mehbooba mufti welcomed the launch, calling it "a long-awaited step" that "guarantees ease for commuters and boosts connectivity in our location."
The railway link is expected to seriously impact Kashmir's economy, specifically its fruit industry, which contributes 8% of the union territory's GDP. Bashir Ahmad Bashir of the kashmir Valley fruit Growers and Dealers Affiliation defined the connectivity as "historic and transformative."
Indian Railways has already begun capitalizing on the possibility. The inaugural freight shipment—24 tons of clean cherries—was dispatched from kashmir through Katra to mumbai on Saturday, reaching the vacation spot in only 33 hours in comparison to the nearly one week it formerly took by way of avenue.
Dilip Kumar, government director (records & exposure) of the Railway Board, said the railways pursuits to transport "Kashmiri fruits, seasonal vegetables, handlooms, and handicrafts to reinforce the neighborhood economy." Officials plan to reduce transportation costs by as much as seventy-five percent and increase freight education frequencies.
The bold mission changed into being finished in stages over almost two decades. The primary segment, Jammu-Udhampur (fifty-five km), was commissioned in april 2005. The Qazigund-Baramulla section (118 km) opened in three components between 2008 and 2009.
The technically tough Banihal-Qazigund segment, proposing the 11.215-km Pir Panjal tunnel, became operational in june 2013. Modi had formerly inaugurated the Udhampur-Katra segment on July 4, 2014, and the Banihal-Sangaldan phase (48 km) in February, closing 12 months.
Vande Bharat trains will now perform between Katra and srinagar from Saturday. Railway officials indicated plans to increase services to Jammu from one end and to Baramulla from the opposite, with frequency modifications based totally on passenger response.
Girls entrepreneur Shazia Akthar knows the railway connectivity as "the largest present from the authorities of India," predicting it may be "a gamechanger" for tourism, handicrafts, and horticulture sectors.
Shabir Ahmad, a senior government officer who boarded the inaugural train, said passengers "couldn't hide their feelings" and "all praised the USA's leadership for carrying out this extraordinary undertaking regardless of many impediments."
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