Srinagar, Dec 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate the Jammu Railway Division from New Delhi on January 6, marking a significant milestone in the development of India’s railway infrastructure. This move fulfills a long-standing demand from local organisations and will bring enhanced connectivity to the region.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr. Jitendra Singh, will represent the event in Jammu.
Currently, Jammu falls under the Firozepur Railway Division of Northern Railways. The creation of the Jammu Railway Division is expected to benefit both passengers and railway employees by improving services and fostering economic growth. This comes just ahead of the launch of train services connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, including a direct train to the region anticipated around January 20. The exact date of the inauguration remains undecided, but the project represents a significant step in the development of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
Meanwhile, Northern Railways has finalized its winter train operation plan for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK)-Kashmir Valley section. As part of the plan, three key trains, including the high-speed Vande Bharat Express, will operate on the route. The revised schedule also introduces two additional Mail/Express services to improve travel connectivity and passenger convenience during the winter season.
The Vande Bharat Express will depart from SVDK at 08:10 am and reach Kashmir Valley at 11:20 am. In addition, a Mail/Express service will depart from SVDK at 09:50 am, while a newly introduced train will depart at 03:00 pm. In the down direction, Mail/Express trains will run from Kashmir Valley to SVDK at scheduled times throughout the day.
The winter operations are part of the broader efforts to enhance connectivity across the region, which also includes a successful trial run on the Anji Khad Bridge and ongoing testing on the Katra-Reasi section. The Anji Khad Bridge, an engineering marvel, is designed to withstand the region’s challenging terrain, and trials are now being conducted on the Katra-Reasi section, a vital segment of the USBRL project.
The completion of ballast-less track work on Tunnel T-33 in December marks another historic milestone for the USBRL project, which is expected to transform rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. The Reasi-Katra rail link is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi in January 2025, along with the launch of a new sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat Express, which will reduce travel time between Delhi and Srinagar to under 13 hours. Indian Railways currently operates 17 zones and 68 divisions.
