Jammu, Dec 30: President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), Arun Gupta on Saturday expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for inaugurating the second Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Katra. The train will have brief stoppages at Udhampur and Kathua.
Gupta also extended his thanks to Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MOS in PMO Office Dr Jitendra Singh, and Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha for their efforts in making the new train service possible.
He said the new Vande Bharat Express would provide significant relief to the business community, pilgrims visiting Mata Vaishno Devi, and general passengers. However, Gupta urged for an extended stoppage time of at least five minutes, considering the congestion at Jammu Railway Station.
Addressing the need for infrastructure development, the CCI president called for upgrading Jammu Railway Station to Divisional Status. “Jammu is a crucial hub for both interstate and intrastate transportation and necessitates improved infrastructure for the establishment of a new Railway division,” he said.
Gupta pointed out the urgent requirement for a rail engine workshop between Jammu and Kathua, as the nearest one is currently located at Patiala, which is significantly far away. With the rail network extended up to Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, he stressed the inadequacy of the existing rail engine workshop at Patiala to meet the repair needs due to the increased number of rail engines.
Proposing a boost to Jammu’s economy, the CCI president suggested restricting a few new and existing trains to terminate at Jammu Railway Station, encouraging visitors to explore the city and contribute to the economic growth of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
