Chenab bridge: Kashmir's century-old dream comes true as the mountain territory gets rail link to mainland
SRINAGAR: June 6 marks a historic day in Jammu and Kashmir as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the long-awaited train service, fulfilling a century-old dream of linking Kashmir to India's rail network. The train to Kashmir marks a historic milestone in India's engineering and connectivity.
The key projects flagged off by PM Modi include two new Kashmir-specific designed special Vande Bharat trains and inaugurate two engineering marvels, the Chenab bridge (world's highest railway bridge which is taller than Eiffel tower) and Anji bridge, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge.
'6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth Rs. 46,000 crores are being inaugurated, which will have a very positive impact on people's lives. In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Anji Bridge stands tall as India's first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging,' PM Modi posted on X a day before launch of the Kashmir train.
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also said June 6 is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the PM.
He said it has been a long wait. 'If I say that I have been waiting for this day for a long time, it won't be an exaggeration. This project started when I was in school, maybe in class 7 or 8. Today, my children have also completed their education and are now working,' he said.
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