One of India’s most ambitious railway projects, which will for the first time connect the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian plains, has been inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 272-kilometer (169-mile) line, which runs through Srinagar, the main city in Indian-administered Kashmir, begins in the garrison city of Udhampur in the Jammu region and ends in Srinagar, one of the most challenging tracks in the world. The Himalayan region, which is divided between India and Pakistan, is at its end in Baramulla, a town close to the highly militarized Line of Control.
The total project cost is estimated to be about $5 billion, according to the Indian government.
The railroad line will make it possible for people and goods to move along dangerous mountain roads and by air while also facilitating the passage of troops through 36 tunnels and 943 bridges.
A 1, 315-meter (4, 314-foot) steel and concrete bridge connecting two mountains with an arch 359 meters (1, 177 feet) above the water is one of the project’s highlights. The bridge was constructed over 120 years and can withstand extreme weather, including wind speeds of up to 260 km/h (161 mph), according to Indian Railways, which compares its height to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, which is 330 meters (1, 082 feet).
Before boarding a test train through picturesque mountains and tunnels to the ceremony for another high-elevation bridge named Anji, Modi waving an Indian tri-color flag while under tight security at the Chenab bridge.
According to Modi, the railroad “ensures all weather connectivity” and will “boost spiritual tourism and provide livelihood opportunities.”
The prime minister also contributed to the launch of two brand-new “Vande Bharat” trains, which will cut the route time between Srinagar and Katra in the Jammu region by about three hours from the customary six to seven hours by road.
Modi’s first visit to Indian-controlled Kashmir on Friday is his first since a military conflict between India and Pakistan last month, when the two countries launched missiles and drones at one another.
In Indian-controlled Kashmir, a shooting incident that left 26 men, mostly Hindu tourists, dead in late April contributed to the conflict. Islamabad refuted the claim that India had blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers.
Both India and Pakistan both control Kashmir, but they also assert total territory in Kashmir.
Since 1989, armed groups have been fighting New Delhi’s rule in Kashmir’s area, which is under Indian control. Many Muslims in Kashmir back the rebels’ efforts to unite the region, either through Pakistani rule or as an independent nation.
