Historic Day for India: PM Modi Inaugurates Katra-Srinagar Railway Line, Fulfilling a Long-Awaited Dream

Hemani Kandhari 

Katra, June 6, 2025 : Today marks a historic milestone in the history of India, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the much-awaited Katra-Srinagar railway line from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Railway Station in Katra. This railway link is not just a new transport facility—it is the fulfillment of a decades-old dream that connects Kashmir to the rest of India through an all-weather railway route.

The new railway line of approximately ₹44,000 crore, connects Kashmir directly with Kanyakumari through other parts of the country. It is expected to play a major role in boosting tourism and economic development in the Valley, thanks to improved connectivity and easier access.

It was 1884 and Maharaja Pratap Singh of the Jammu and Kashmir state asked his Prime Minister, Diwan Anant Ram, to write a letter to the Government of British India. In the letter he would propose a vision to connect his state to the Raj's rail network in the subcontinent. One of his dreams was fulfilled but was lost to the Partition. Another never moved beyond paper. But the third rail route the Maharaja proposed and even started initial surveys on, has finally come to life today, 141 years later.

The foundation of this ambitious project was laid back in 1983 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. It was formally sanctioned by the Ministry of Railways in 1994–95 with an initial estimate of ₹2,500 crore. In 2002, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared it a National Project, which gave the work a much-needed push.

The route is also home to major engineering marvels. The Chenab Railway Bridge, located in Reasi district, is the world’s highest railway bridge—359 meters above the riverbed—taller than the Eiffel Tower. Another iconic structure on the route is the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, which was personally inspected by the Prime Minister today.

For the first time ever, Jammu and Kashmir now has two special Vande Bharat trains that will operate on this Katra-Srinagar railway track. The inaugural ceremony took place at the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, which sees more than one crore pilgrims every year.

Most importantly, this railway link will reduce the region’s heavy dependence on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which often gets disrupted during snowfall and rains. Flight fares also surge during these times, causing inconvenience to locals and tourists alike. This new route offers an all-weather, safe, and reliable option to travel between Kashmir and the rest of India throughout the year.

Today was indeed a golden day for Jammu and Kashmir and for the entire nation.