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Jammu: Ahead of Vande Bharat train launch, IGP reviews security
The visit of the IGP to railway stations of Katra, Reasi and Sangaldhan besides Kouri bridge focused on assessing the existing security measures, law enforcement deployment, surveillance systems, says a police spokesperson.
Ahead of the much-awaited launch of a Vande Bharat train to Kashmir, Jammu zone’s inspector general of police (IGP) Bhim Sen Tuti reviewed security arrangements at key strategic locations, including the railway stations at Katra, Reasi and Sangaldhan besides Kouri bridge on Tuesday, officials said.
After successful trial runs of passenger and freight trains on the 17-km Katra-Reasi rail track since December last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has to inaugurate direct train service to Kashmir with the launch of Vande Bharat train.
A police spokesperson said Jammu zone IGP Bhim Sen Tuti was accompanied by Udhampur-Reasi range DIG Rayees Mohammad Bhat, Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban range DIG Shridhar Patil, Railways Katra SSP Sanjay Kumar Kotwal, Ramban SSP Kulbir Singh, Reasi SSP Paramvir Singh along with other senior police officers.
The visit focused on assessing the existing security measures, law enforcement deployment, surveillance systems, anti-sabotage preparedness to counter any potential threats, he added.
The IGP interacted with officers and personnel on the ground, reviewing security protocols, surveillance systems and coordination mechanisms among different agencies, he informed.
At the railway stations and the Chenab railway bridge in Kouri (Reasi), the IGP reviewed the security arrangements for passengers and the vital infrastructure. He directed officers to enhance security measures and to coordinate effectively with Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel.
Tuti directed officials to enhance vigilance, strengthen security checks and ensure seamless coordination between police, railway authorities and other security forces.
On January 15, following a series of successful trial runs of passenger and freight trains, the commissioner of railway safety (northern circle), Dinesh Chand Deshwal, had given a go-ahead to commission nearly 17-km rail track between Katra and Reasi. The Katra-Reasi section was the toughest in the entire 272-km long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link USBRL) project.
On January 4, the chief administrative officer of the Udhampur-Baramulla-Srinagar Rail Link (USBRL) project, Sandeep Gupta, and senior railway officials had conducted first ever trial run of an electric train from Katra to Banihal.
On January 7 and 8, commissioner of railway safety Deshwal along with team of senior officials had inspected the Katra-Reasi track, tunnels and bridges besides conducting a speed trial on the 111-km Katra-Banihal track.
The Katra-Banihal section includes 27 tunnels and 37 bridges. The longest (12.75-km) rail tunnel in the country, T-49, falls on this section. The work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project was started in 2005-06. The 118-km-long Qazigund-Baramulla rail section in Kashmir was inaugurated in October 2009.
The 18-km Banihal-Qazigund and 25-km Udhampur-Katra sections were commissioned in June 2013 and July 2014 respectively.
