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Railway connectivity was an area, in which Jammu-Kashmir was lagging behind for years, but under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party government at the Centre, thumping progress has been made towards connecting the region with the rest of the country. In July 2014, after inaugurating the 25-km Udhampur-Katra railway line, the Prime Minister assured the people that Kashmir would be connected and integrated with the rest of the country during his tenure. By year end Baramulla in North Kashmir would be connected to Kanyakumari through a railway network. Till 2014, the Northern Railways used to get only Rs 700-800 crore per year. But, in the 2023-24 Railway Budget, Rs 6,000 crore was allotted for the railway project in J-K.
The railway line connecting Kashmir with Kanyakumari is all set to be completed this year, and the work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line has entered its final stages. The work on the Chenab,which is one of the highest bridges in the world, Anji bridges, and major tunnels is also nearing completion.
When the BJP-led Centre abrogated J-K’s special status on August 5, 2019, Shri Narendra Modi had promised that J-K would get the country’s best facilities and infrastructure. In the coming days, Uri, the last township in North Kashmir, will also be connected. What couldn’t happen in the last 70 years, is nearing its completion under the current government, and is expected to bring Jammu-Kashmir, further closer to the rest of the country.