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Saturday, October 11, 2008 (15:09:13) |
| Tags : Manmohan Singh, Train service in J&K, Srinagar, Anantnag |
Prime Minister flags off Kashmir's dream train |
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Srinagar: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday inaugurated the first ever train service in the Kashmir valley by flagging it off from the Nowgam railway station near summer capital Srinagar. United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Union Water Resources Minister Saif-ud-Din Soz, Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti were among those present at the inauguration. "Manmohan Singh Zindabad, Lalu Prasad Yadav Zindabad," the people present at the heavily guarded station shouted as the train rolled slowly on the track to begin its historic journey to south Kashmir's Anantnag town.
The entire area around the Nowgam railway station had been taken over by the security forces and entry was allowed only to those holding specially issued passes. "I was not allowed to reach the venue of the inaugural function as security forces demanded a vehicle pass even after I showed them my invitation to the function," a civil servant told.
The prime minister and the railway minister waved green flags to signal the inauguration of the flower bedecked train. Having a rail link between the valley and the outside world has been a dream of the locals for decades. To begin with, trains will run between the central Rajwansher (Budgam district) to south Kashmir's Anantnag district, covering a distance of 66 Kilometres. The fare for travel between Rajwansher to Anantnag will be Rs 15.
The regular train service will commence on Sunday. The scheduled stops of the train will be Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipora, Panjgam and Bijbehara. There will be eight coaches in the train. "Each coach can accommodate 90 passengers and the compartment meant for physically challenged persons will have wider doors. For panoramic view, wide windows of unbreakable and splinter proof poly carbonate sheets have been provided while the doorways will be sliding," a northern railway official said. (IANS) |
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