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India Gazette
11-06-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Wonderful journey...": NC Chief Farooq Abdullah returns to Srinagar from Katra in Vande Bharat
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], June 11 (ANI): National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah reached Srinagar on Wednesday on the Vande Bharat train after darshan at the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine and asserted that he had a 'wonderful journey.' After returning from Srinagar, the NC Chief said, 'I had a wonderful journey. Tourists are coming. This train is a great blessing. It will increase our tourism and business... Now our people can travel to any part of the country. It's a big dream that I have seen being fulfilled in my life. We must remember the God who has given us everything and also those who gave us this train.' Earlier in the day, Farooq Abdullah said that he had a 'good darshan' at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and that he prayed for prosperity and brotherhood in the region. 'I had a good darshan, and I hope that we will get what I prayed for. We want prosperity, unity, and brotherhood. We all want India to grow so that we can be part of that,' the former JK Chief Minister said. 'I am very happy with the train service that has begun. More people will come to receive the darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, and it will help the tourism as well,' he said. On Tuesday, the NC Chief said that the Vande Bharat trains on the USBRL route (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link) are the 'biggest gift' for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it connects the territory with the entire country. Abdullah reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station on Tuesday after travelling on board the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam (Srinagar) Railway Station. Speaking to reporters, the NC chief said that his eyes became 'teary' after the train crossed the Chenab Bridge. Notably, the bridge on the River Chenab, being the highest bridge in the world, is a milestone project for the Indian Railways, which was completed after several ups and downs in a difficult terrain. It connects Kashmir to Jammu and the entire country via rail. 'This is the biggest gift to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the entire country... I had tears in my eyes when I crossed the Chenab Bridge. Finally, the day has come when we can travel to the country from Kashmir by train. I want to congratulate all the workers and engineers who built this bridge...' he said. The two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir, were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6. The new Vande Bharat Express train will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours. These trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley. The train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway arch bridge in the world. The architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge, situated 359 metres above the river, is the world's highest railway arch bridge. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions. The USBRL project is 272 kilometres long, constructed worth around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges. The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration. (ANI)
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Wonderful journey...': NC Chief Farooq Abdullah returns to Srinagar from Katra in Vande Bharat
Farooq Abdullah lauded the Vande Bharat train after his journey to Srinagar. He highlighted its positive impact on tourism and business. He also acknowledged the connectivity it provides to the rest of India. Abdullah expressed joy after crossing the Chenab Bridge. He called the train service a significant gift for Jammu and Kashmir. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads National Conference Chief Farooq Abdullah reached Srinagar on Wednesday on the Vande Bharat train after darshan at the Maa Vaishno Devi shrine and asserted that he had a 'wonderful journey.'After returning from Srinagar, the NC Chief said, "I had a wonderful journey. Tourists are coming. This train is a great blessing. It will increase our tourism and business... Now our people can travel to any part of the country. It's a big dream that I have seen being fulfilled in my life. We must remember the God who has given us everything and also those who gave us this train."Earlier in the day, Farooq Abdullah said that he had a 'good darshan' at the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and that he prayed for prosperity and brotherhood in the region."I had a good darshan, and I hope that we will get what I prayed for. We want prosperity, unity, and brotherhood. We all want India to grow so that we can be part of that," the former JK Chief Minister said."I am very happy with the train service that has begun. More people will come to receive the darshan of Maa Vaishno Devi, and it will help the tourism as well," he Tuesday, the NC Chief said that the Vande Bharat trains on the USBRL route (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link) are the "biggest gift" for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, as it connects the territory with the entire reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station on Tuesday after travelling on board the Vande Bharat train from Nowgam (Srinagar) Railway to reporters, the NC chief said that his eyes became "teary" after the train crossed the Chenab Bridge Notably, the bridge on the River Chenab, being the highest bridge in the world, is a milestone project for the Indian Railways, which was completed after several ups and downs in a difficult terrain. It connects Kashmir to Jammu and the entire country via rail."This is the biggest gift to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the entire country... I had tears in my eyes when I crossed the Chenab Bridge. Finally, the day has come when we can travel to the country from Kashmir by train. I want to congratulate all the workers and engineers who built this bridge..." he two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, directly connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir, were flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June new Vande Bharat Express train will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing the existing travel time by two to three hours. These trains have been specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir train will run through the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, which is the highest railway arch bridge in the architectural marvel Chenab Rail Bridge, situated 359 metres above the river, is the world's highest railway arch bridge. It is a 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge engineered to withstand seismic and wind USBRL project is 272 kilometres long, constructed worth around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Time of India
India-Pak tension dents travel plans of vacationists
1 2 Prayagraj: The tension between India and Pakistan affected travel plans across the country, with the Prayagraj division of the North Central Railway witnessing a significant impact. In just two days, over 70,000 reserved train tickets were cancelled, resulting in refunds totalling around Rs 6 with India and Pakistan announcing ceasefire, travel industry is optimistic that normalcy would return to Amit Kumar Singh, public relations officer of the Prayagraj division, as many as 20,458 reserved tickets were cancelled on May 7; 23,131 on May 8 and another 27,534 on May 9 were cancelled from different stations under the Prayagraj division of the North Central Railway (NCR). On May 9 alone, Rs 2,28,68,102 was refunded against cancellation of confirmed tickets. Passengers are increasingly avoiding travel to border states like Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat due to security concerns following Operation Sindoor in wake of the recent terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam. The cancellations were reported from major stations, including Prayagraj Junction, Kanpur, Fatehpur, Mirzapur, Etawah, Manikpur, Aligarh, and impact of the conflict is not limited to domestic train travel. Operation Sindoor Pak drones enter Indian airspace, explosions heard just hours after truce deal Sirens, explosions in border districts after Pak breaks deal: What we know so far 'What happened to ceasefire?' J&K CM after explosions heard across Srinagar Tour packages for popular destinations in Himachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir are also being cancelled. In the last two days alone, over 48 travellers from Prayagraj have withdrawn their bookings for domestic holidays as well as international destinations like Thailand, Maldives and has resulted in significant losses for travel agents, particularly those catering to summer vacation plans. Passengers are expressing unease, with many opting to cancel their trips. "I had to go on a pilgrimage to Maa Vaishno Devi after May 20, but I cancelled the ticket in view of the current situation," said Pratibha Singh of Singh from Civil Lines echoed similar concerns, stating he had planned a family trip to Manali via Chandigarh but decided it was not safe to proceed. Tour operators confirm the trend, with Sandeep Mishra of Travels Safe saying many travellers initially diverted from Kashmir to other hill destinations. As the situation worsened, those bookings are being scrapped too."Earlier Kashmir packages were cancelled. Now it's Himachal, Ladakh, Uttarakhand and even international packages. Financially, we are hit hard," Mishra said, highlighting the significant impact on the travel trend of cancelling train tickets is particularly pronounced on trains heading towards Delhi and border states like Haryana, Punjab, Jammu and Rajasthan. Although some trains still have available reservations, the number of ticket cancellations significantly outweighs new bookings.
