Jammu and Kashmir rail connectivity plans on track, Indian Railways runs 'special troops train' trail

The Indian Railways on Wednesday successfully ran its first “trial special train”, which carried soldiers on the strategically vital Katra-Qazigund section. This comes amid government's plan to operate trains between Jammu and Kashmir. The trail run was unaffected by the ongoing Indo-Pak conflict. The train made the round trip with full security arrangements, reported TOI.

The section also includes that Chenab Bridge and is the final leg that connects Kashmir with the rest of India by rail. The train left Katra around 10 am and returned by 6 pm, the report said.

The trail runs runs come at amid the ongoing Indo-Pak conflict and Operation Sindoor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to inaugurate the section last month, but was postponed due to bad weather.

The special train carried soldiers who were on leave and stuck due to cancellations of flights to J&K. “The train operation was limited to only the Katra-Qazigund section. Normal train operation is on between Qazigund and Baramulla,” said an official to TOI.

Earlier, a special Vande Bharat test run was done between Katra and Srinagar. However, the train did not carry passengers in them.

The successful trail run on Wednesday will add connectivity to Kashmir and pave way for faster movement of men and goods. Till now, only a highway connected Jammu and Kashmir, which would sometimes be closed due to bad weather and landslides.