Udhampur-Katra rail: A precious gift for Mata Vaishno Devi Pilgrims

New Delhi: After a prolonged wait, pilgrims will be able to directly reach Katra, the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, by rail after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first train from the station nestled in Trikuta Hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Friday.The 25 km stretch from Udhampur to Katra has costed Rs 1100 crore and has taken nearly 12 years to be made. The train will traverse through seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges. There will be a small station - Chakrakhwal - between Udhampur and Katra.The train will pass through 10 tunnels covering a distance of 10.9 km. All tunnels are illuminated and the longer tunnels have been provided state of art ventilation and systems for safety and rescue. The tunnel number 23 is the longest on the section having a length of 3.120 km.It passes through 53 bridges including seven major and 29 minor bridges. The tallest bridge is 85 meters high. The rail link crosses number of rivers, nallahs, canals, channels, khads and watercourses in addition to number of roads, cart paths and footpaths. The rail route over river Jhajjar has the highest pier height of 85 metres and the longest single span of steel girder bridge of 154 metres.This Railway line is considered an engineering marvel. The shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi is visited nearly 10 million devotees every year.The rail-link passes through the Himalayas, and due to the difficult terrain, the construction had been divided into 4 phases. Jammu-Udhampur section, Anantnag to Rajwansher, Rajwansher to Baramulla and Quazigund to Anantnag were inaugurated by former PM Manmohan Singh.The 53km-long Jammu-Udhampur rail line is already operational and the Udhampur-Katra line, which is a part of the Kashmir rail link project, is made operational, the trains will be able to come up to Katra directly. That would enable pilgrims headed to the Vaishno Devi shrine to travel directly to the base camp at Katra.Addressing a public rally in Katra after flag off ceremony, PM Narendra Modi said: "Jammu and Kashmir has passed through very trying times. It is the desire of every Indian to ensure that the state makes progress and the youth here get employment."It is our duty, and we will do it, whether we are in power in the state or not."I want to give a message to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the journey started by Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the state will be taken to its logical conclusion."The prime minister, who arrived earlier in Jammu, said the Katra-Udhampur rail link had been inaugurated at a time when the Amarnath Yatra was on and also during the holy month of Ramadan."The rail link is dedicated not only to the people of Jammu and Kashmir but also to the people of the country who come here in millions to pay obeisance at the Mata's shrine."When progress takes place at one place, some people at other places feel neglected ... as the chief minister has said about the apprehensions of the people of Jammu city."I want to assure the people of Jammu that their interests will be protected. I do not believe anybody will come to Katra and not visit Jammu city."Building of infrastructure is a holistic exercise. Whenever development takes place at one place, its benefits reach all places."