Railways bridging Kashmir gap

It is understandable that adding services in railways requires a cumbersome exercise as it is not easy to say a thing and the next moment realize it on rail tracks connecting different destinations. The journey of the train beyond Jammu Tawi Railway Station is testimony to the aforesaid assertion as things rolled out slowly and gradually. What was laudable was the role played by the successive governments and the incumbent one in bringing trains to the Valley. What was once thought to be near impossible is a reality today and with the flagging off of the inaugural run of the much-awaited direct Vande Bharat train between Jammu and Srinagar, hopes of the train lovers of the country have been further rekindled.

With this landmark achievement of the Railways, it becomes important that one of the largest transport networks in the world should start working on creating a direct connection between the capital of the country, New Delhi, and the summer capital of J&K, Srinagar. This is important for many reasons because presently the people travelling between Delhi and Srinagar have to rely on buses, air journey or by taking a break in Katra and now Jammu also with the launch of Srinagar Jammu Vande Bharat train to reach the capital of India by trains. It is for sure that trains across the country are the most reliable, affordable and comfortable modes of transportation and therefore the people of Kashmir deserve a direct railway link with New Delhi.

The Railways Ministry, which is taking phenomenal steps in J&K to make train travel the most popular mode of transport covering Kashmir and now Poonch also as work has started, should also work on connecting Delhi directly with Srinagar and stations beyond, which will transform the lives of people especially the tourists and traders. There are several trains running from different destinations across the country and terminating at New Delhi known as Rajdhani Express. It would be a dream come true for the people of Kashmir if a similar service was introduced between Srinagar and New Delhi. Apart from this, the extension of Vande Bharat from Jammu to New Delhi will also prove to be a game changer, making this train service the most popular in the country. The Indian Railways should focus on this aspect as nothing is impossible under the guidance of the seasoned Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.