Jammu and Kashmir National Conference chief and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday described the Vande Bharat train service on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) as the “biggest gift” for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, emotionally recalling his journey across the iconic Chenab Rail Bridge.
Speaking to reporters after reaching Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station from Nowgam (Srinagar) aboard the Vande Bharat Express, Abdullah said, “I had tears in my eyes when the train crossed the Chenab Bridge. This is a dream come true — connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country through rail. It’s the biggest gift for our people.”
He praised the engineering marvels of the project, especially the Chenab Bridge — the world’s highest railway arch bridge, standing at 359 metres above the river — calling it a collective achievement of several governments and thousands of workers and engineers.
“This vision started with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was carried forward by Manmohan Singh, and completed under Modi ji. I thank all the engineers and workers who made this possible,” Abdullah added.
He highlighted the expected boost to tourism and trade, saying the Vande Bharat connectivity will help Kashmiri products reach distant markets like Kanyakumari, Patna, Mumbai, and Kolkata. “The railways will now run even when roads are shut by snow. This makes travel cheaper and easier for our people,” he said.
The Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra to Srinagar, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, mark a milestone in Indian Railways. Designed to withstand harsh climatic conditions, these high-speed trains reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar to just three hours.
The route includes two engineering landmarks: the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world.
The entire USBRL project spans 272 km and cost approximately ₹43,780 crore. It includes 36 tunnels (covering 119 km) and 943 bridges, enabling all-weather rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. The project is expected to significantly improve regional mobility and socio-economic integration.