Jammu, June 06: Veteran Congress leader and former ‘Sadr-e-Riyasat’ of Jammu and Kashmir Karan Singh on Friday termed the start of Kashmir rail service as “truly historic moment” in the region’s history.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off specially designed Vande Bharat trains from Katra to Srinagar and Srinagar to Katra, marking the completion of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Karan Singh, the son of the last Dogra ruler Maharaja Hari Singh, said the train service will usher in a new era of growth in tourism, trade and commerce in both the valley and Jammu.
“Today marks a truly historic moment in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. The inauguration of the train from Katra to Srinagar is an astounding technical achievement and everyone involved deserves our heartfelt gratitude,” he said in a statement here.
“The idea of a railway line was first envisioned by Maharaja Pratap Singh several decades ago. In fact, three project reports were prepared by international engineers at the time, one of which closely resembles the present route.
“On March 1, 1892, Maharaja Pratap Singh even laid the foundation stone of a railway project to link Jammu and Kashmir. However, the technology and finances required for such a massive undertaking were not available back then,” he said.
Maharaja Pratap Singh was Maharaja Hari Singh’s uncle.
“I extend my congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for seeing the project through to completion and inaugurating it today,” he said.
He said he is confident that this train service will usher in a new era of growth in tourism, trade and commerce in both the valley and Jammu.
“I look forward to taking this train journey myself soon to witness the marvellous bridges and tunnels that have been constructed,” he said.
