Jammu, Feb 13: For the first time in 9 years, the two Vande Bharat Express trains will now have stoppages at Udhampur and Kathua regions of Jammu.
The Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday morning flagged off the maiden regular run of Vande Bharat Express train with stops at Udhampur and Kathua.
He also said Kashmir Valley will be connected with Vande Bharat Trains within 3-4 months.
Terming it as a historic decision of the government, Dr Singh said it was possible only due to the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s special attention and priority that he has accorded to the J&K.
The union minister flagged off the Vande Bharat from the Udhampur Station early this morning and also travelled on it upto Kathua Railway Station, where the train made its first stoppage.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh said with this facility, Prime Minister Modi has fulfilled the demand of the local people and commuters for providing stoppage of Vande Bharat Train at Kathua station.
He said this achievement was not a small feat as the entire process of ticketing and haltage was completed within just one-and-half-month period without tinkering with the mandated eight-hour journey time of the Vande Bharat Train.
He also expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi on behalf of the local people, for acceding to their demand to change the name of the Udhampur Railway Station to Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station, saying that it is for the first time in the country that a railway station has been named after a martyred soldier.
He also informed that in an earlier notification, the word Udhampur had got inadvertently dropped but has been rectified naming the station as Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station Udhampur.
He said that the railway route to J&K is unique as it is among the few that have two Vande Bharat Trains chugging off, whereas many places in the country are yet to avail this state-of-the-art transport facility which was unveiled in 2015.
