Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the newly created Jammu railway division through virtual mode on Monday, paving the way for efficient management of train services in the northernmost region of India.
With the establishment of the new railway division in Jammu, a long-standing demand of people of the region has been fulfilled. This milestone event comes ahead of the much-awaited inauguration of train services to Kashmir from Katra, with the final trial run scheduled for Tuesday.
"The prime minister will inaugurate the Jammu railway division through virtual mode from New Delhi tomorrow," an official said.
In Jammu, the event will be attended and addressed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Member of Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh is also expected to participate.
Headquartered in Jammu, the newly created division will involve the reorganization of the Firozpur Division. It will include the following sections under its jurisdiction, including Pathankot-Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla (423 route km), Bhogpur-Sirwal-Pathankot (87.21 route km), Batala (excluding)-Pathankot (68.17 route km) and Pathankot-Joginder Nagar (narrow gauge section, 163.72 route km).
The total length of these sections will be 742.1 kilometres. Presently, the Indian Railways operates 17 zones with 68 divisions across the country.
The Railway officials said the final jurisdiction will be determined based on the Detailed Project Report.
The division will feature modern, hi-tech facilities, leveraging the full potential of Information Technology (IT), they said.
With the creation of this division, the Indian Railways will now have 70 divisions under its 17 zones.
The newly established division will oversee operations on India’s iconic rail projects, including the country’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge and the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River at Kauri.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, located in Reasi district, stands 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the riverbed, making it 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
The Jammu division will also manage the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project, which is now nearing completion.
The Anji Khad Bridge has a total length of 473.25 metres, including a 120-metre viaduct and a 94.25-metre central embankment.
Currently, the railway services in Jammu and Kashmir are managed by the Firozpur Division of Northern Railways.
Regarding the inauguration of train services to Kashmir from Delhi, the Commissioner of Railway Safety will conduct statutory inspections and final trials on January 7 and 8.
With the phased commissioning of train services, the Railways is expected to complete 255 km of the 272-kilometre USBRL project, leaving only a small stretch between Katra and Reasi to be finished by December.
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