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Union minister, J&K LG, dy CM thank PM Modi for another Vande Bharat train
In Bengaluru, the prime minister on Sunday flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains -- from Bengaluru to Belagavi, from Punjab’s Amritsar to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in Jammu and Kashmir and from Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune
Union minister Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and deputy chief minister Surinder Choudhary thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday for sanctioning a Vande Bharat train to link the holy towns of Katra and Amritsar, and said the transport infrastructure, particularly in the railways, has witnessed unprecedented growth in the Union territory over the last 11 years.
In Bengaluru, the PM on Sunday flagged off three Vande Bharat Express trains -- from Bengaluru to Belagavi, from Punjab’s Amritsar to Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in Jammu and Kashmir and from Nagpur (Ajni) to Pune.
“This (Katra-Amritsar) is the fourth Vande Bharat Express train gifted to Jammu and Kashmir by PM Modi, who has given top priority to this region ever since taking the reins of the government in 2014.... I do not know if there is any other railway station in the country where four Vande Bharat trains stop,” Singh told reporters on board the newly-launched train.
He congratulated the people of Jammu for the new train and said when Modi took over as the PM in 2014, the railway project to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country was almost abandoned.
The LG thanked the PM for the Vande Bharat train between Amritsar and Katra.
“Grateful to PM Modi for flagging off Vande Bharat Train between Amritsar to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Station. J&K’s transport infrastructure, particularly in railways, has witnessed unprecedented growth under the leadership of PM. New Vande Bharat Train will ensure ease of travel for devotees of Mata Vaishno Devi and spur the growth momentum of the local economy,” he said in a post on X.
Referring to the first freight train reaching the Anantnag station in south Kashmir from Punjab on Saturday, Sinha said it marks a significant milestone in the Kashmir valley’s transport infrastructure and trade.
Addressing the gathering before the flag-off ceremony at the Katra railway station, deputy chief minister Choudhary lauded Modi for making the dream of railway connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country a reality. “We are lucky to witness the dreams that our elders saw getting fulfilled under the leadership of Modi. Our PM and chief minister Omar Abdullah flagged off the first train from Katra to Kashmir (on June 6) -- a historic moment as many were of the opinion that the train could never reach Kashmir, which was infamous for terror activities. But the region has witnessed fast development,” he said.
He welcomed the launch of the new Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Amritsar and said it is a proud moment for people as the train is going to connect two revered shrines -- the Vaishno Devi temple and the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
