Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually inaugurated the new Jammu railway division under northern railways thus making it the sixth railway division of north India after New Delhi, Lucknow, Moradabad, Ambala and Firozpur.
The Prime Minister said that this will benefit not only Jammu and Kashmir but parts of Himachal Pradesh, some districts of Punjab and it will help people of Ladakh union territory as well.
Addressing the ground breaking ceremony from New Delhi, PM Modi said, “Jammu and Kashmir is making new records under rail infrastructure. The entire country is talking about Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) and this project will further connect Jammu and Kashmir with other areas of the country.”
“It was under this project that work on the world’s highest rail bridge was completed. Anji Khad, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, is also part of this project. Both these are the best examples of engineering marvel,” the Prime Minister said. He said that this will boost the economic growth of the area and will help the overall development of the region.
Jammu division was earlier part of the Firozpur division of northern railways but once the work on the USBRL was completed, the government of India decided to give the northernmost area of the country a new year gift in terms of Jammu division of railways.
The launch of rail infrastructure projects in Jammu-Kashmir, Telangana and Odisha will promote tourism and add to socio-economic development in these regions. https://t.co/Ok7SslAg3g
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 6, 2025
Apart from Jammu division, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Cherlapally New Terminal Station in Telangana and laid the foundation stone for the Rayagada Railway Division Building of East Coast Railway.
Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw attended the function virtually whereas in Jammu the function was attended by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Minister of State in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Member Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, legislators of BJP and other leaders of the party.
PM Modi said that since the start of 2025, India is fast moving for speed connectivity and metro services in entire India have gone beyond 1000 kilometers. “Entire country is moving hand in hand and Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas is the mantra to fill the colours of becoming Viksit Bharat (developed India),” he said.
“I congratulate the people of these three states and people of India for these projects,” the PM said.
He informed that during the last decade, Indian railways has seen a big transformation and infrastructure has seen a visible change. “We are mostly taking the railways forward on four parameters, which include modernization of railway infrastructure, providing better facilities to the passengers, connectivity all over the country and jobs from railways and support to the businessmen. This programme reflects the new vision of modernizing railways in the 21st century,” the PM said.
Commenting on the steps taken since 2014 when he took over the reins of the country, Modi said, “In 2014, we took this dream to make railways modern and the introduction of Vande Bharat train and Namo Bharat will become a new benchmark of railways. People also want to complete the longer distance in less time and the demand for faster trains increases. At present Vande Bharat is running on 50 routes and there are 136 services of Vande Bharat.”
“I have seen a video in which a new sleeper version of Vande Bharat is seen chugging at 180 kms per hour. Not only me but every Indian is proud to witness this. Time is not far away when the first bullet train will run in India,” the PM added.
On the occasion, J&K LG Manoj Sinha congratulated PM Narendra Modi for giving people of this union territory the gift of the new Jammu railway division which, he said, will be a game changer in terms of economic growth of the region.
“In upcoming days Kanyakumari to Kashmir will be connected with railways and the dream of people of Jammu and Kashmir will become a reality. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Railway-Line (USBRL) is being discussed all over India and world’s highest bridge over river Chenab and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad are talk of the town,” he said.
The LG informed that at present over Rs 40,000 crore projects under railways are currently undergoing in Jammu and Kashmir and the new Jammu railway division will help to achieve the new heights.
Sinha informed that after four days, PM Narendra Modi will be inaugurating the Z-Morh tunnel on Srinagar-Leh national highway which will further improve the road connectivity.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah congratulated the Prime Minister and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for inaugurating the railway division for Jammu, which was the demand of people of Jammu and Kashmir for a long time.
“I am lucky in a way that before leaving the government in 2014, the last big event which I attended was the inauguration of the Katra-Udhampur railway line and the first event after taking over the government at present is to attend the inauguration of the railway division. Both these events were inaugurated by PM Modi,” Omar Abdullah said.
He hoped that soon Srinagar will also be connected with the railway line as the work has been completed. “The talks of connecting Jammu with Poonch and Baramulla with Kupwara are coming up and with the railway division being inaugurated in Jammu, it will be the responsibility of Jammu division to look after the people whose land will be used in these projects. They should be made partners of the development,” Omar said.
The Chief Minister maintained that PM Modi is trying hard to improve the connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, be it the railway line, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra expressway, Jammu-Srinagar four-lane, Z-Morh tunnel and airport expansion. “The work at Jammu airport has started and I hope that soon the work at Srinagar airport will also commence,” he added.
Speaking on the occasion, MoS in PMO, Jitendra Singh said that in 1972 trains had reached Jammu but after that for 50 years successive governments didn’t do anything to connect Kashmir with trains as well.
“I don’t know why these governments didn’t connect Kashmir with railways. Whether they didn’t have any vision or they didn’t want to connect and integrate Kashmir with the rest of the country by connecting through the railways. Or God wanted that when Modi Ji becomes the PM, Kashmir will be connected with railways,” Singh said.
“In 2014 during the inauguration of Katra railway station, Omar Abdullah was the CM then and Manoj Sinha was MoS railways, I had brought it to the notice that the railway line was completed a year ago and the former PM was invited time and again to inaugurate the same. Due to some issues he couldn’t and then code of conduct was imposed and after elections PM changed and Modi ji came,” the MoS in PMO said, adding, “We have a saying here that until and unless the Goddess invites no one comes here. Goddess wanted Modi ji to come and inaugurate the same.”
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