Ahead of launching rail services to Kashmir, Northern Railways conducted a successful trial run of a direct train from Katra (Jammu) to Budgam (Kashmir) on Sunday. The train, with 22 bogies, including two luggage cars and two engines, started at 8 am from Katra and reached Budgam, testing the track and infrastructure along the route.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo also visited the Anji Khad bridge, calling it an engineering marvel. He praised the high-tech construction and safety measures used in its development, noting that the bridge, built at a cost of ₹485 crore, took five years to complete.
The trial run checked the Katra-Budgam track, tunnels, and bridges, including passing through challenging mountain terrain, the highest bridge, and the longest tunnel. Earlier, a team from the Railway Safety Commission had inspected the entire Katra-Reasi-Sangaldan-Banihal route.
With the work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project now complete, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to launch rail services to Kashmir after January 26.
