Source : DNA INDIA NEWS

The railway authorities have recently announced a schedule stating that there will be no direct train to the Kashmir Valley. Passengers traveling to the valley will now be required to disembark and board a new train at Katra station.

The long-awaited dream of having a direct train service from Delhi to the Kashmir Valley has been dashed, leaving the local population deeply disappointed. People from all walks of life, including common citizens, business communities, and politicians, are voicing their opposition to the decision and urging the government to reconsider. There were earlier speculations that a Vande Bharat Sleeper train would be introduced on the Delhi to Srinagar route. 

The railway authorities have recently announced a schedule stating that there will be no direct train to the Kashmir Valley. Passengers traveling to the valley will now be required to disembark and board a new train at Katra station. This decision has diminished the enthusiasm that locals had expressed about the completion of the rail network. 

Omar Abdullah, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, also voiced his disappointment over the decision to not provide a direct train service to the Kashmir Valley. “Just to remove any chance of misunderstanding, while we understand the need to secure the train and the passengers who will travel using it, making passengers change trains will defeat the very purpose of the line and render the thousands of crores of investment pointless. Check the train/passengers in Katra or Jammu, sure, but NO change of train will be supported by us. That said, there is no concrete proposal, and when there is, we will give our inputs/suggestions,” he said. 

The business community, which had previously expressed great enthusiasm about the railway’s launch, is now disappointed by the lack of a direct train to the valley. They argue that the absence of direct train connections will severely affect the horticulture and tourism industries. They have urged the central government to rethink its decision. 

The train service is scheduled to begin on January 26 and will be launched by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

SOURCE : DNA NEW