'Kashmir To Kanyakumari' Rail Network Now A Reality: PM

2025-06-06 08:07:18

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)

Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) as a historic milestone and a symbol of national integration, as he flagged off the first Vande Bharat train between Katra and Srinagar.

Speaking at a massive public gathering in Katra, Modi called the moment“a grand celebration of India's unity and willpower.”

“With the blessings of Mata Vaishno Devi, Kashmir has now been connected to India's vast railway network,” he said.“For decades, the phrase 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' has represented a dream of national unity-today, that dream has become a railway reality.”

The fully operational USBRL project includes the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed railway bridge over the Anji Khad. Its completion marks the first-ever direct railway link between the Kashmir Valley and the Indian mainland.

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Calling the project an emotional moment for the nation, Modi said the long-pending dream of lakhs of people in Jammu and Kashmir had finally been realised.“This project was stuck for years, but during our tenure, we chose to challenge the challenge itself-and we delivered,” he said.
Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists, Prime Minister Modi called it an assault on 'insaniyat' and 'Kashmiriyat', accusing Pakistan of attempting to derail peace and tourism in the region.”

“Pakistan is against humanity, against tourism, and against the rozi-roti of Kashmiris. That's why they attacked innocent tourists in Pahalgam,” he said.

He added that enhanced connectivity through projects like USBRL was a strong reply to such attempts.“These bridges and trains are not just made of steel and concrete-they represent the lifelines of a new, empowered Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

The Prime Minister also launched infrastructure and development projects worth ₹46,000 crore during the event, underscoring the Centre's push for economic revival and stability in the Union Territory.

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