Vande Bharat To Kashmir, Bridge To Link Rameswaram | Why PM’s February Gifts Matter

These are also the PM’s dream projects and exhibit the country’s flourishing infrastructure story amidst some big challenges. The Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link will link the Kashmir Valley -described by the 13th century poet Amir Khusrau as ‘paradise on earth’- with the rest of the country after a wait of decades. The new Pamban Rail Bridge will re-link Rameswaram, home to the late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, to the mainland.

The visuals of the trial run of the first Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar last week exhibit how humungous challenges were overcome in the last decade on a 111-km stretch between Katra and Banihal to be inaugurated by Modi next month. No work had happened on this stretch till Modi first reviewed it on June 24, 2015. This was a significant date as the prime minister termed it “an important national project and asked J&K and Railways to speed up the work”.

This is one of the most complex and technologically challenging stretches in the country. Of the 111-km rail line between Katra and Banihal, 97.42 km is through as many as 25 tunnels and there are 6 km of bridges. The Vande Bharat on Saturday during the trial run passed over the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge which sits 359 meters over the Chenab River, and the Anji Khad Bridge, which is India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge.Vande Bharat

Why this explains India’s Success Story

The train line to Kashmir will be an engineering marvel that would rival the most challenging projects in the world – it has a total of 38 tunnels, one of them nearly 13 km long, and 931 bridges. The commitment to the same by the Modi government explains a lot about the prime minister’s vision for Kashmir. Despite a year-round tourism industry, the Kashmir Valley historically had just a single mode of transport connecting it to the rest of India – by road.

A recent study by Oxford University explained how, for years, overwhelming traffic on a National Highway, as well as shutdowns created by erratic snowstorms, served as a constant reminder of the need for an alternative source of connectivity to Kashmir. It was a four-decade-old vision to nestle a railway line within the Himalayas – traversing mountains, gorges, and ridges. February marks the culmination of this long and arduous journey that required innovative tunneling in the most treacherous terrain.

The PM putting the project on the fast-track in 2015 ushered in a paradigm shift at all levels of execution and administration regarding the rail link, said the Oxford Study. The PM’s push prompted publication of weekly hindrance reports, unparalleled support given to project officials, and army convoys that escorted trucks of construction material. Former Chief Secretary of J&K Arun Mehta says the PM’s intervention galvanised the project’s execution and will be a lifeline for Kashmir’s socio-economic development.

As an all-weather means of transport for an area that is snowbound for part of the year, the Kashmir rail link could open up opportunities for enhanced tourism, investments and boosting J&K’s economy.Vande Bharat

PM’s Second Gift in February

The second big project on the PM’s table in February is the new Pamban Rail Bridge to Rameswaram whose foundation stone was laid by Modi in 2019 and the sea bridge is now ready for operations after a safety nod. This new bridge is replacing a bridge made by the British in 1914, which was decommissioned in 2022 as it completed its life term. The new bridge re-connects Rameswaram to the main land now after a gap of two years.

The 2.07-km-long vertical lift rail bridge having two rail lines – which can be lifted up to 17 meters and closed within 10 minutes using machines – it would rival in technology the Tower Bridge of London. Train operations would be disrupted for not very long when the bridge is lifted for ships and vessels to pass through in the Bay of Bengal.

The bridge is set to accommodate heavier rail traffic and faster trains. With its vertical lifting capabilities, this bridge will take India at par with more developed nations and its success sets a precedent for infrastructure projects across India. Rameswaram island is an important centre in South India. It is a temple town, also the hometown of Kalam, and it was in Rameswaram where the Ram Setu was built by Lord Ram’s army to bring back Sita from Lanka.Vande BharatPakistan: Awami Tehreek stages massive protest against corporate farming, canal projects in Sindh