Should all unfold as anticipated, the pinnacle of speed in Indian rail travel, the Vande Bharat, will soon thunder between Delhi and Kashmir. This is no ordinary accomplishment; it stands as a testament to the audacious engineering marvel crafted over 24 relentless years of unwavering dedication by a legion of engineers. Behold the crown jewel, the world’s loftiest bridge, a towering colossus standing at an imposing 359 metres and stretching an impressive 1315 metres across the river Chenab in the Reasi district of Jammu Division. The most formidable stretch lies between Banihal and Katra and Banihal and Qazigund, where the unyielding mountains have been pierced through, yielding a labyrinth of tunnels and bridges. While this project could have languished in procrastination, the directive from Prime Minister Modi ensured the expeditious settlement of all land acquisitions and the allocation of ample resources to the railways, rendering the improbable possible. This heralds another epoch in the ongoing narrative of transformation and development.
The railway journey initiated by the Britishers and the Maharaja via the Sialkot-Jammu track almost 150 years ago has now reached its zenith, linking Kashmir to Kanyakumari. The introduction of the Vande Bharat train service is poised to truncate the Jammu-Srinagar journey to a mere 4-5 hours and a roughly 10-hour odyssey to New Delhi. Principal beneficiaries will include beleaguered fruit and vegetable traders, students, and patients who cannot afford exuberant airfares. The airlines with hefty airfares will lose monopoly. Transporting goods, especially perishables, from Srinagar to the rest of the country and vice versa will not only witness a reduction in transit time but also a significant alleviation in carriage costs for vendors. The paramount advantage lies in establishing all-weather, dependable connectivity. The army stands to gain significantly, with logistics poised to become markedly more streamlined, facilitating the swift movement of heavy armaments, ammunition, and troops. A sojourn of a lifetime awaits, poised to amplify tourist footfall in the Jammu and Kashmir region.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
