Jammu: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating Jammu's new railway division, people have hailed it as a “big step towards uplifting the dwindling economy of Jammu, which has seen a downward trend in the past few years.”
Jammu residents believe that with this inauguration it is clear that the focus of the government of India will continue to be on Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking to ETV Bharat, the people of Jammu have welcomed this announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“It is a big step in the right direction. It wasn’t justifiable to put Jammu and Kashmir under the Firozpur division and now when a new railway division has been inaugurated in Jammu, many areas of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will fall under Jammu division which means the focus will remain on Jammu and Kashmir,” claimed Binoo Joshi, a veteran journalist of Jammu.
During the past few years, and especially when the train had reached Katra in 2014, traders of Jammu were feeling “alienated” as the business had seen a downward trend. The discontinuation of the Darbar Move in J&K had also hit hard on the traders of Jammu, but now with the new Jammu railway division, traders anticipate better opportunities.
“This is a very important decision by the government of India,” said Arun Gupta, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Jammu (CCIJ). “It will bring more trade, employment and people towards Jammu. People of Jammu and Kashmir will get employment and when people from outside will reach here, trade will also improve.”
He further added, “With this decision, we will be able to have more railway connectivity, and trains could reach up to Poonch, Billawar, and even Doda, which will benefit people of all walks of life. Also, as the train is reaching Kashmir Valley, people will have more accessibility.”
Political leaders echoed the same sentiments, describing the new division as a transformative step for the region. “It was the decision of Hon’ble PM Narendra Modi to give Jammu a new railway division which will help the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir. Our unemployed youth will get jobs and connectivity will improve,” said Shagun Parihar, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA from Kishtwar.
Railway officials too expressed relief and are happy to have a separate railway division. “As the work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail-Link (USBRL) is coming to an end, it was a general fear among us that we may have to go out of Jammu and Kashmir to work, but with the decision of establishing railway division, we hope that new routes will come up and we will have opportunities at our doorstep,” claimed Rajesh Kumar, an engineer associated with USBRL.
For younger residents, the decision symbolises a brighter future. “The launch of the Jammu Railway Division is a game-changer,” said Himani Kandhari, a young local. “It simplifies decision-making, improves connectivity to Baramulla and Kashmir, and directly benefits local businesses, transport services, and rental incomes. This is a step toward empowering the people of Jammu and unlocking the region’s economic potential.”
The new railway division is seen as a critical step toward improving trade, connectivity, and employment in Jammu and Kashmir, setting the stage for economic growth in the region.
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