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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 07/20/2009 : 10:24:25
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http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Amid-Rly-fog--snow--strife--a-train-carries-Valley-faith/491513
Monday , Jul 20, 2009 at 0219 hrs
Srinagar/New Delhi:
This train is fast changing the way people travel in the Kashmir valley. Almost nine months since it made its debut on a standalone stretch in the Valley, the Anantnag-Srinagar-Baramulla train service has already carried 11.5 lakh passengers and earned Rs 98 lakh as revenue through the sale of passenger tickets, underlining how well the local population has taken to this new mode of transport that was alien to them till a few months back.
Ever since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the first 66-km-long stretch on this 101-km-long section in October 2008, the glistening red and blue Diesel Electrical Multiple Unit (DEMU) has gone on to become the preferred mode of travel in the Valley, even if it means that people have to walk a few hundred metres through dusty lanes to reach most of the 13 railway stations en route.
When it started operations, it was curiosity, more than anything else, which drew the masses to this eight-coach train. Several months down the line, the sight of local people lining up at railway stations like Bijbehara and Awantipora to board this train bears testimony to its ever-growing popularity.
A one-hour ride from Anantnag to Srinagar is all it takes to gauge the impact this 90-seat chair car train is having on the minds of the people.
Between October 12, 2008 and June 30 this year, the Anantnag railway station handled over 3.4 lakh passengers, a smaller station like Kakpora handled 66,875 passengers while the Srinagar railway station handled over 2.2 lakh passengers. Anantnag station also emerged as the biggest money-spinner during this period showing earnings of almost Rs 34 lakh from passenger fares. Srinagar came a
close second with Rs 24 lakh as earnings in the same period.
Everything about this local train, from the Delhi Metro-like public address system that informs passengers about the next station to the internal heating system to keep passengers warm during winters to the snow-cutting cattle guard that can clear the snow from the tracks as the train moves, is a first on the Indian Railways system. The train’s utility got underlined last winter when it operated smoothly despite heavy snowfall in the region at a time when road
travel had almost come to a halt.
Another spin-off has been the fact that this train has heralded the homecoming for 300-plus Kashmiri jawans of the Railways Protection Force (RPF) to their homeland in the Valley. These jawans have been repatriated from the Railways Protection Special Force (RPSF) to the RPF so that they could be posted to Jammu and Kashmir and deployed to guard this train. Many of them opted to come back to the state even if it meant a demotion.
“Most of us were posted in far-flung areas of the country when we were in RPSF. This train offered us an opportunity to come back home after 10-15 years.
Despite knowing about the demotion in the rank, many of us took the offer,” an RPF constable told The Indian Express on the train ride from Anantnag to Srinagar. Earlier a head constable in RPSF, he had got demoted to the rank of a constable when he opted to come back to RPF so that he could serve in the Valley and join his family in Srinagar.
“Having these men back to RPF and posting them to the Valley has served a twin purpose. Since they belong to this place, they know the language and the sensibilities of the people and are able to manage the crowds better. In the bargain, they have been reunited with their families after years of being out of the Valley,” a railway official explained.
While there was some resentment following their demotion, even resulting in some litigation, most of these jawans are happy just to be back with their families.
RPF officials in Railway Ministry clarified that as per the Indian Railways Establishment Manual, movement from one zone to another causes loss of seniority and that applied to all railway officials, and not just RPF.
Even as it runs to packed capacity during the day, Northern Railway officials admit that the footfalls are comparatively lower during the evening hours. In fact, railway and RPF personnel say there have been isolated incidents of stone-pelting on the train in some areas. “But we are here to run this train. And we will run it, come what may,” adds a railway official on the route.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2009 : 20:11:04
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Anantnag-Qazigund rail line in JK to begin operation from Aug
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/anantnag-qazigund-rail-line-in-jk-to-begin-operationaug/68483/on
New Delhi July 22, 2009, 11:23 IST
The train running between Baramulla to Anantnag in Kashmir is all set to extend up to Qazigund next month.
"The 18-km-long Anantnag-Qazigund rail line is ready. We are giving finishing touch to make it operational next month," a senior Railway Ministry official involved with the Kashmir rail link project said.
The Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) is expected to inspect the line in the first week of August which will be followed by a speed test.
"The train operation will begin after getting the CRS authorisation," the official said, adding that with the start of functioning of the line, "the railway will cover 119-km track starting from Baramulla to Qazigund in Kashmir."
The cost of the Baramulla-Qazigund rail network project is estimated at Rs 3,200 crores.
The first train operation in Kashmir, the 66-km-long rail line from Anantnag to Mazhom, was flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in October last year.
In February this year, 35-km-long Mazhgom-Baramulla rail track was inaugurated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
It took almost nine years to complete the Baramulla-Qazigund rail project, which started in 2000.
"Though it was started in 2000, the land acquisition took place in 2002 only. Then there were other problems also," the official said.
The Anantnag-Qazigund rail link has about 113 minor and major bridges along the route, the official said, adding that the 435-metre-long Veith river bridge is the longest followed by the 300-metre-long Sandran bridge.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2009 : 20:11:08
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India-Kashmir rail link lurches forward
By Haroon Mirani
SRINAGAR - What could be Asia's most spectacular railway, or its most dangerous, has made a renewed lurch towards completion thanks to a recommendation that building should resume on the world's highest bridge - a key part of the much-delayed project linking Kashmir and India.
India Railways board chairman M Ravindra and his seven-member expert committee have recommended that work go ahead on the Chenab bridge after the group was asked last December to suggest a possible new alignment in the section following suspension of the work over concerns of safety and stability.
The contentious steel-arch bridge over the river Chenab would run for 1.3 kilometers, with a height of 359 meters, 16 meters higher
than the world's present highest vehicular bridge, the cable-stayed Millau Viaduct in France. Almost half of the US$100 million Chenab bridge had been built when construction was halted.
An Indian Institute of Science report warned that the bridge was liable to collapse as the surrounding mountain would have been unable to bear its weight (26,000 tonnes in steel alone).
Ravindra's team accepted there are serious problems in the present alignment and recommended that 93 kilometers of the treacherous 125km link between Katra and Qazigund, out of a total route length of 287km - be abandoned. But he advocated that the large-arched bridge, to be built in an area where winds can blow at 220km per hour, be kept in the plans. Around three billion rupees (US$61 million) had been spent on the bridge before work was stopped.
The line, between Srinagar, summer capital of India-administered Kashmir, and the nearest rail head in Udhampur, nearly 300km to the south, is hailed as one of the most difficult railways lines to be built anywhere, spanning mountainous and often uninhabitable terrain. Most of the line runs either through tunnels (totaling 109km, the longest at 11.4km) or on bridges (783), many spanning deep gorges.
Almost half of the track passes through little-charted areas where there is no habitation, power supply or roads.
Ravindra's recommendation is part of a war between the two powerful lobbies in Indian Railways favoring two separate alignments.
The government suspended work on the line in September 2008 after a report by the Bangalore-based Indian Institute of Science stated that the present alignment of railway line is unsafe. Indian Railways proposed a new alignment it claimed to be more secure.
Satish Kumar Vij, Railway Board Member (Engineering), the top engineering post in Indian Railways, was instrumental in pushing for suspension of the work, citing geological and security reasons. Vij retired on March 31, and a lobby that wants to continue with old alignment gained strength.
Four days before retiring, Vij requested that Delhi Metro Rail Corp chief E Sreedharan intervene in the matter. Sreedharan wrote to the government urging it to immediately cancel the old alignment on the grounds that the line would be unstable and going by the present pace of work it would take 20 years to complete.
Sreedharan, already respected through his running of Delhi Metro Rail Corp, has increasingly become a person others listen to after being among the first to air suspicions of work linked to Satyam Computer Services when he was consultant to the Andhra Pradesh state government for a metro project involving Maytas, a Satyam unit. Weeks later, in January this year, it was disclosed that Satyam had fudged its accounts to the tune of US$1 billion.
The proposed new alignment is based on a steeper gradient of 1-in-60 (a gain of one meter height every 60 meters) compared with the earlier proposed 1-in-100. In a bid to scuttle the change, Vij's successor, Rakesh Chopra, and Shri Prakash, Indian Railways Board (Traffic), then ordered that the gradient should in no circumstances exceed 1:80.
Some engineers say the proposed steeper gradient will make it extremely difficult to run loaded freight trains, while the prospect of longer tunnels has raised questions of access, ventilation and safety. One tunnel in the new alignment would be 26km long.
Meanwhile, one grouping inside Indian Railways argues that the geography in both proposed alignments is same and the existing problems will remain - so the original line should be followed with minor modifications.
Construction is being led by two main companies, Konkan Railway and government-controlled IRCON, involving around 50,000 people. Several foreign companies are involved as sub-contractors, including a joint venture involving India-based AFCONS Infrastructure, Ultra Construction and Engineering Co of South Korea, VSL India Private Ltd, Gammon India and Archirodon construction of South Africa.
Foreign consultants involved include Switzerland-based Amberg Consultancy Firm, and Geo Consult of Austria, Consulting Kortes of Finland, and Leonhardt Andra Und Partner, Germany.
The ambitious link has been under construction since 1994. Work speeded up in 2001 after the project was declared a national priority by New Delhi. The federal government estimated that it would be completed by August 2007 on the eve of India's Independence Day celebrations, but the work is nowhere near completion.
Indian Railways is now considering the alternative route, running through twin-tube tunnels rather than skirting the mountains and cutting the distance by about 55km. Critics say it will push the deadline to 2025 and drive up the project's cost to $10 billion from the present $2.5 billion.
Indian Railways had already invested more than $300 million in work done and contracts awarded when work was stopped. Subsequent claims by contractors following order cancellations, delayed deadlines and other legalities are set to increase losses to $500 million if the old alignment is completely abandoned.
The old alignment had a particularly difficult 140km stretch that snaked through tunnels, across bridges or hugging landslide-prone cliffs. Building about 350km of approach road, necessary before work could start on the actual line, was made possible only through the help of the Indian Air Force, which was called in to drop men and machinery to locations by helicopter. Adding to costs, much heavy machinery had to be imported, as India lacks the necessary technology.
As the project stuttered along, tunnels collapsed and landslides undid hard-won progress. The executing agency, charged with drilling 200 meters of tunnel a month, could get through only 70 meters - hence concerns the project would require a further two decades to complete.
Indian Railways has been criticized for starting the project without surveying the ground properly.
"What they did was they got some satellite maps of terrain, drilled at a couple of places and okeyed the project," said a local geologist pleading anonymity as he is not authorized to talk on the subject. "The region falls under highly earthquake-prone zone V. Its rock structure is all dolomite and limestone, which is fractured and is the main cause of landslides and tunnel collapses." The area is home to three active geological fault lines.
Dithering over the railway alignment is costing more than money. More than 40,000 people across 150 villages were affected by the initial route, as thousands of hectares of rare agricultural land was acquired with compensation of little more than the promise of jobs and a better future thanks to the improved links to the outside world.
"Now there is no land, no job and no train," said one villager Bhoori Ram, who had given his land to Indian Railways.
The bureaucrats have other concerns. "The major problem is who will be responsible for $500 million damages that will be incurred in case a new alignment is considered," said a railway official on the condition of anonymity.
As India struggles to coordinate its mega-buck project, it is not being allowed to forget that China finished a similar high-altitude railway line in adjacent Tibet in the remarkably short period of five years. As the Indian media have pointed out, China started the work on the 1,142km section from Golmud to Lhasa in 2001, just as India ordered faster work on the Kashmir railway. China inaugurated the $3.68 billion track on July 01, 2006.
India's strategists, meanwhile, are dreaming of taking the railway line up to the Tibetan plateau, in the Ladakh area of Indian administered Kashmir, but given the track record in the present Kashmir project, the odds are heavily stacked against such an adventure. The line would cost an estimated $4 billion.
In its favor, the extended line could be strategically important for India, as it would help to supply hundreds of thousands of Indian soldiers posted in the conflict zone of Kashmir bordering Pakistan and China. Their only transport link at present is a single highway that is prone to landslides and is often closed in winter.
Haroon Mirani is a Kashmir-based journalist.
(Copyright 2009 Asia Times Online (Holdings) Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact us about sales, syndication and |
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2009 : 07:31:18
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Rail to Qazigund makes its first appearance
Srinagar: Signaling the expansion of train to further 18-kilometers, the railway authorities Friday carried out a trial run of a coach from Qazigund to Islamabad.
Reports reaching Press Bureau of India said that the 8-bogies reached Qazigund at around 11:35 hours while it left the station at 11:55 hours.
Sources told PBI that the railway link will be officially thrown open in August. They said the Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) is expected to inspect the line in the first week of the Month and train will later commission the operation after sanctioning the requisite CRS authorization.
With the clarification, the railway in Jammu and Kashmir would cover a distance of 119-km track and would connect Qazigund in south Kashmir with Baramulla. The cost of the Baramulla-Qazigund rail network project is estimated at Rs 3,200 crores.
It took almost nine years to complete the Baramulla-Qazigund rail project, which started in 2000. The Islamabad-Qazigund rail link has about 113 minor and major bridges along the route, the sources said.
The first train in Kashmir was made operational in October 2007 when Prime Minister flagged off the 66-km-long rail line from Islamabad to Mazhom in central Kashmirs Budgam district.
The railway saw its first expansion by 35-kms with the linking of Mazhom with Baramulla In February this year. The rail track was inaugurated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. (PBI)
http://www.kashmirwatch.com/showheadlines.php?subaction=showfull&id=1249066648&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&var0news=value0news
Posted on 31 Jul 2009
Rajendra Saxena |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2009 : 10:02:29
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Final test run on Qazigund-Anantnag route by August 8
http://www.ptinews.com/news/208449_Final-test-run-on-Qazigund-Anantnag-route-by-August-8
Jammu,Aug 2 (PTI) The Northern Railway will conduct final test run on 18 km-long Anantnag-Qazigund rail line by August eight, before train operations will begin on the entire 119-km track connecting Baramulla and Qazigund in Kashmir.
"While the first test trial run on the Qazigund-Anantnag stretch on Friday was succesful, the final test run would be conducted by Commissioner Railways Safety (CRS) on August 7-8," a senior official said here today.
Trains would start chugging through the entire 119 km route connecting Southern end of Kashmir (Qazigund) with Northern end (Baramulla) from next week if the CRS finds the final test run successful, he said.
Earlier on Friday, DMUs were run through the section at two different speeds -- 45 Kms per hour and 85 Kms per hour -- and it was successful, he said.
Currently, trains are operated between the 101-km stretch between Anantnag and Baramulla.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2009 : 03:54:32
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Railways complete work on Quazigund-Anantnag stretch
New Delhi (PTI): Travelling through the tough terrain of the Kashmir Valley will become easier soon as the Railways have decided to open the 20 km stretch of Quazigund-Anantnag to passenger traffic.
This follows the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) giving the go ahead for commissioning of the 20 km stretch, implying passengers would avail train service right from Quazigund to Srinagar and Baramulla.
With this, the construction of 120 km long Quazigund-Baramulla section has also come to an end.
Construction of the other two sections the Udhampur Katra section and Katra Quazigund section is also in progress.
"We hope passenger train service between Quazigund and Anantnag will start soon with the clearance from CRS already in place," sources in Northern Railway said.
The Baramulla-Qazigund rail network project has come up with an investment of Rs 3,200 crores.
The first train operation in the valley, the 66-km-long rail link from Anantnag to Mazhom on this section, was flagged off by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in October last year.
In February this year, 35-km-long Mazhgom-Baramulla rail track was inaugurated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/25/2009 : 10:11:04
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Crucial rail tunnel in Kashmir to be completed by 2010
http://www.merinews.com/article/crucial-rail-tunnel-in-kashmir-to-be-completed-by-2010/15782495.shtml
RAILWAY OFFICIALS involved in the construction of the crucial Qazigund-Banihal railway tunnel informed the Jammu and Kashmir Governor NN Vohra on Monday be completed on the project by December 2010.
The governor along with an official entourage visited the Qazigund Railway station as well as the railway tunnel at Lower Munda, where he was briefed about the details of the project.
At the railway station, Vohra went round the hi-tech ASM-cum-Panel Room and Solid State Interlocking Room. He was also briefed about the entire site plan of the Railway station with details of the facilities, by senior Railway Officers.
Chief Engineer, construction, North-East, Northern Railway, Chahatey Ram, while briefing the governor, said that the latest technology has been introduced at Qazigund Railway Station to facilitate quick train movements.
He also informed that the Commissioner of Railway Safety has given clearance for operating DMU on 19 km Qazigund-Anantnag stretch of the
Qazigund-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project.
The governor also paid a visit to the Railway Tunnel site at Lower Munda and took stock of the pace of work on the construction of this 11 km long Pir Panjal Railway tunnel connecting Qazigund with Banihal.
He was apprised that out of the 11 km long tunnel, the work on eight km-four and
a half km from Banihal side and three and a half km from Qazigund side-has been
completed so far while the entire tunnel is scheduled to be completed by
December 2010. He said that thereafter the process for laying of track will
commence.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/06/2009 : 19:35:12
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Chug to Kashmir through Indias longest tunnel
MUZAFFAR RAINA
Srinagar, Sept. 6: Jammu and Kashmir is bracing for a rare feat: the opening of the countrys longest railway tunnel that will realise the century-old dream of connecting the Valley with the rest of India by train.
Eight kilometres of the 11km tunnel have been completed, and it is set to be opened for traffic by December next year. The tunnel will run from Qazigund in the Valley to Banihal in Jammu, boring through the mighty Pir Panjal mountains.
It will be Asias second-largest tunnel, behind only the 20km Wushaoling tunnel in Gansu, northwest China, easily beating Indias current longest, the 6.5km Karbude tunnel of the Konkan Railway.
This is surely an engineering marvel, said Colonel Parminder Singh, assistant general manager of Ircon, the railway ministry arm constructing the tunnel. We have completed 4.5km from the Banihal side and 3.5km from the Qazigund side. We are now in the last stage of the project.
The Rs 647-crore project will cap another milestone by the railways the 119km stretch from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Qazigund in south Kashmir, which became operational a few months ago.
However, a Valley resident who catches a train from Baramulla or Srinagar and arrives in Banihal will then have to ride a bus or car to Udhampur before he can take a train again to travel deeper into India. The railway stretch from Banihal to Udhampur is yet to be completed.
Work on the tunnel began six years ago simultaneously with the Qazigund-Baramulla stretch after then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced a 292km rail link between Baramulla and Udhampur, connecting the Valley with the rest of country, a project conceived more than 100 years ago.
When completed, it would be a viable alternative to the 300km Jammu-Srinagar highway, on which travel is risky but which is now the only surface link between Kashmir and the rest of India.
The Rs 11,000-crore rail link is divided into three sections Udhampur-Katra, Katra-Qazigund and Qazigund-Baramulla. The third stretch alone stands completed and is operational.
The remaining two sections pass through difficult terrain and will have numerous tunnels and bridges, including the worlds highest bridge, 359 metres high and 1.3km long, over the river Chenab.
Only when these two sections are complete will the dream of a long-distance train chugging into the Valley from mainland India be realised. Work on the Katra-Qazigund stretch, however, was stopped last year after some experts raised doubts about the track alignment.
But work on the Qazigund-Banihal tunnel has continued uninterrupted, and care is being taken to provide it with modern drainage, fire-fighting and ventilation facilities. The tunnel has a three-metre-wide road running parallel to the tracks to deal with emergencies.
Construction is being done following the Austrian tunnelling method, first used in India for the Delhi Metro. The method involves the integration of surrounding soil formations into a ring-like support structure.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2009 : 03:56:21
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PM to inaugurate the Qazigund-Anantnag railway line
http://www.kashmirl ive.com/story/ PM-to-inaugurate -the-QazigundAna ntnag-railway- line/518689. html
September 18, 2009 at 1156
Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is scheduled to come on a two day visit to the state next month to inaugurate the Qazigund-Anantnag railway line. Related StoriesHaj pilgrims provided with passports Two RPG launchers, 11 grenades recovered from hideout in Reasi Army organises two-day medical camp under Operation Sadbhavana Kashmir Economic Summit to be held next week Delink package from our return to valley: Kashmiri Pandits Jammu Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, is scheduled to come on a two day visit to the state next month to inaugurate the Qazigund-Anantnag railway line.
According to sources, PM is visiting the state on October 2 for a two day long visit. During the visit, Singh will inaugurate the Qazigund-Anatnag stretch of railway line which has come up at the cost of Rs 3,600 crore. The Qazigund-Anantang railway stretch is awaiting inauguration after the work was completed over it last month. Though railway officials didnt confirm the inauguration of 18 km long Qazigund-Anantnag stretch by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, however Congress sources say that Prime Minister was visiting the state next month.
With the inauguration of Qazigund-Anantnag railway line, the trains can ply from Qazigund to Srinagar. As of now the trains ply only between the Baramulla and Anantnag through Srinagar.
The Qazigund-Anantnag railway line is complete and is waiting for the inauguration, said, officials.
Confirming the visit of Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to the state, Congress Spokesman, Ravinder Sharma, however said that the dates of Prime Minister's visit to the state have not been finalised as yet. Prime Minister is scheduled to come next month, he said.
Ahead of the visit of Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to the state, last month railway authorities gave the clearance for running the diesel multiple unit (DMU) trains on the Qazigund-Anantnag stretch. The Qazigund-Anantnag stretch of the Qazigund-Srinagar- Baramulla rail link will complete the entire 119-km-long railway line within the valley.
Earlier Governor, N N Vohra, inspected the railway line. Vohra also visited lower Munda and took stock of the pace of work on the construction of the 11-km-long Pir panjal railway tunnel connecting Qazigund with Banihal. Out of the 11-km-long tunnel, work on eight km has been completed so far. The tunnel is scheduled to be completed by the end of next year.
During his visit to the state, Prime Minister, will also be reviewing the package which was announced by him last year for the return of Kashmiri migrants to Valley. In the package, Prime Minister had announced Rs 7.5 lakh for each family to reconstruct the houses in Kashmir. In view of Prime Minister's visit to the state, Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated steps to work out the strategy for implementation of Prime Minister's package. It has constituted a committee headed by Revenue Minister to work out the details of the return package of Kashmiri migrants.
Rajendra Saxena |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/19/2009 : 20:25:00
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Qazigund-Baramulla Rail from Next Month
http://www.kashmirobserver.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3088:qazigund-baramulla-rail-from-next-month-&catid=2:local-news&Itemid=3
Srinagar: With Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS) having already signaled rail track apt for run, the train service from Baramulla to Qazigund is all set to chug on regular basis from next month, sources said.
They said that the train service would be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit to valley next month. While as there has been no confirmation about the timing of Singh’s visit, sources said, he is visiting valley, first time after being re-elected as PM, in first week of the October.
In August this year, CRS carried out inspection of 18-kilometer railway track from Islamabad to Qazigund and expressed content with facilities at station buildings, track alignment, signaling and electrical works.
After the inauguration, the railway in Jammu and Kashmir would cover a distance of 119-km track and will to connect Qazigund in south Kashmir with Baramulla in north Kashmir. The cost of the Baramulla-Qazigund rail network project is estimated at Rs 3,200 crores.
It took almost nine years to complete the Baramulla-Qazigund rail project, started in 2000. The Islamabad-Qazigund rail link has about 113 minor and major bridges along the route, the sources added.
The first train in Kashmir was made operational in October 2007 when Prime Minister flagged off the 66-km-long rail line from Islamabad to Mazhoma in central Kashmir’s Budgam district.
The railway saw its first expansion by 35-kms with the linking of Mazhoma with Baramulla in February this year. The rail track was inaugurated by Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 09/28/2009 : 02:10:41
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Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail line should be a priority for Centre'
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/pathankotjogindernagar-rail-line-should-be-a-priority-for-centre/520885/
Palampur Expressing concern over the recent incidents of suspected movement by Chinese along the international border, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, on Wednesday, reiterated that given its strategic importance, the Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line should be made broad gauged and be extended to Kullu-Manali-Lahaul and finally till Leh.
“I had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during my recent visit to Delhi and he had sought some papers relating to communication made by the state Government with the Centre. We have sent the papers. I have also discussed the matter with the Defence Minister, the Railway Minister and the Planning Commission chairman,” said Dhumal. He was here to lay the foundation stone of Sri Sai University.
The extension of the railway line is necessary from the strategic point of view, Dhumal said, adding that its upgrade should be a priority for the Union Government. He said Chief of the Army Staff General Deepak Kapoor had also supported his viewpoint when they met recently.
The pre-feasibility report for the railway line had been conducted by the Railway Board and the report was with the Centre, Dhumal said. “A private company — ICC Holdings — has also come forward and given its proposal to the Centre for laying the railway line,” added Dhumal.
The CM also expressed concern over the delay in the boring of the Rohtang Tunnel. “The foundation stone of the tunnel was laid by the then PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002 but there has been no progress since then,” he said.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2009 : 08:51:36
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PM's speech at the inauguration of the Anantnag-Qazigund Rail Link
15:57 ISThttp://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=53651
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, inaugurated the Anantnag-Qazigund Rail Link in Anantnag today. Following are the excerpts from the Prime Ministers address originally rendered in Hindi:
I am delighted to be back in the valley of Kashmir in the lovely season of autumn. We will soon see the beautiful golden hues of the season and the magnificent chinar will soon be flaming red.
I have come today to inaugurate the QazigundAnantnag rail link. I congratulate the Indian Railways and the people of Kashmir for this achievement. The day is not far when trains will run from Jammu to Srinagar through the Banihal Pass.
The last time I came to Jammu & Kashmir, the State Assembly elections were going to be held. Later, the Lok Sabha elections were also held. I am happy that the people of Jammu & Kashmir turned out to vote in these elections in large numbers. I believe that it was a vote for a peaceful path to a better tomorrow. I applaud the wisdom and good faith of the common man of Kashmir. The elected government has a golden opportunity to consolidate the peace in the State.
In the last five years, the Government of India has taken a number of steps to bring development to Jammu & Kashmir. We have tried to revive the traditional connectivity between the people of the region. We took the bold step of reviving the movement of goods and people across the Line of Control on the Srinagar Muzaffarabad road and on the Poonch Rawalakot road. I am happy to announce that the Central Government has decided to fund the additional cost of Rs. 385 crore to build the heritage Mughal Road that will connect Shopian with remote areas of Poonch and Rajouri.
Unprecedented resources have been committed to the State for its comprehensive reconstruction. But I recognize that the benefits are trickling down slowly. This state of affairs should change. We have to speed up the pace of development in the state. We have to reverse the brain drain that has denuded the state of many of its teachers, doctors, engineers and intellectuals. We have to create the conditions for them to return and to be the instruments of change and development. We want to strengthen the hands of the State Govt. so that they can implement an ambitious development agenda.
I would also urge that the time has come for elections to local bodies be held quickly. This will increase the peoples participation in the processes of development.
I appeal to the youth of Kashmir to join in building a new Kashmir. I understand their frustration. But things are changing. I urge them to think constructively about how to build their futures.
The Central Government will make all efforts to involve the youth of the State in constructive work. Under the Skill Development to Employment Programme, the Ministry of Tourism will train 300 youths of the State. In addition, 200 youths will be trained and deployed as tourist escorts during the Amarnath and Vaishno Devi Yatras. The Ministry of Labour will train 8000 youths in the ITIs every year.
As part of the national programme the Ministry of Youth Affairs will deploy around 8,000 youth in Jammu and Kashmir on a voluntary basis. They will engage in public service such as cleaning of the Dal lake.
I believe that the IT Sector in J&K can be as developed as in other states of the country. We will fully support the efforts of the State in this area. I am happy that more than 600 youth of the State trained under a Central Government project have been employed in the IT sector recently.
I am happy to announce that the Government of India has decided to set up two Central Universities in J&K, one in Jammu and one in Kashmir.
The majesty and splendour of this beautiful valley and the culture of hospitality of the Kashmiri people are second to none. Its magnificent lakes and forests have charmed travelers for centuries. It offers the solemnity of the Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh, the treasures of the Hazratbal shrine and the piety of the Raghunath temple. Let us build Kashmir into one of the worlds top tourist destinations.
The picturesque Dal Lake is the icon of the tourism industry in Kashmir. We have been funding a project for the conservation of the lake but progress has been slow. I would urge the State Government to set up a task force to expedite the project. The Centre has decided to commit additional funds of Rs. 356 cr for this project. We will also discuss with the State Government how to expedite ongoing projects for the conservation of Wullar Lake and Manser Lake.
The Government is concerned about reports of receding glaciers. I am happy to announce the launch of the National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system. We wish to preserve the sacred heritage of places like the Amarnath shrine.
The era of violence and terrorism is coming to an end. The public sentiment is for peace and for a peaceful resolution of all problems.
When I came to office in 2004, I had said that our Government is committed to having unconditional dialogue with whoever abjures violence. We had discussions with different groups. We had a number of round table conferences. All issues were discussed. We tried to give voice to the demands of all sections of the people. We have implemented a number of initiatives as a result of this process.
I wish to say again today that we are willing to talk to anyone who has any meaningful ideas for promoting peace and development in Kashmir. We want to carry all sections of the people with us in resolving the political and economic problems of Jammu and Kashmir.
I had also said that I was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan. I did so not because of weakness but from a position of strength. We had the most fruitful and productive discussions ever with the Government of Pakistan during the period 2004-07 when militancy and violence began to decline. Intensive discussions were held on all issues including on a permanent resolution of the issue of Jammu & Kashmir.
For the first time in 60 years, people were able to travel by road across the LoC. Divided families were re-united at the border. Trade between the two sides of Kashmir began. In fact, our overall trade with Pakistan increased three times during 2004-07. The number of visas that we issued to Pakistanis doubled during the same period. An additional rail link was re-established.
These are not small achievements given the history of our troubled relationship with Pakistan. Inside the valley, as militancy declined, trade, business and tourism began to pick up. We were moving in the right direction. For the first time there was a feeling among the people that a durable and final peace was around the corner.
However, all the progress that we achieved has been repeatedly thwarted by acts of terrorism. The terrorists want permanent enmity to prevail between the two countries. The terrorists have misused the name of a peaceful and benevolent religion. Their philosophy of hate has no place here. It is totally contrary to our centuries old tradition of tolerance and harmony among faiths.
I strongly believe that the majority of people in Pakistan seek good neighbourly and cooperative relations between India and Pakistan. They seek a permanent peace. This is our view as well.
The cross-LoC initiatives have been well received on both sides of the border. But I am also aware that they are not as people friendly as they could be. Trade facilities at the border are inadequate. There are no banking channels. Customs facilities need to be strengthened. There are no trade fairs. The lists of tradable commodities need to be increased. Clearances for travel take time. Prisoners of India and Pakistan are languishing in each others jails even after completing their sentences.
The fact is that these are humanitarian issues whose resolution requires the cooperation of Pakistan. We are ready to discuss these and other issues with the Government of Pakistan. I hope that as a result things will be made easier for our traders, divided families, prisoners and travelers. For a productive dialogue it is essential that terrorism must be brought under control.
We will press the Government of Pakistan to curb the activities of those elements that are engaging in terrorism in India. If they are non-state actors, it is the solemn duty of the government of Pakistan to bring them to book, to destroy their camps and to eliminate their infrastructure. The perpetrators of the acts of terror must pay the heaviest penalty for their barbaric crimes against humanity.
It is a misplaced idea that one can reach a compromise with the ideology of the terrorists or that they can be used for ones own political purpose. Eventually they turn against you and bring only death and destruction. The real face of the terrorists is clear for the people of Pakistan to see with their own eyes.
I hope that the Government of Pakistan will take the ongoing actions against the terrorist groups to their logical conclusion. They should destroy these groups wherever they are operating and for whatever misguided purpose.
I call upon the people and Government of Pakistan to show their sincerity and good faith. As I have said many times before, we will not be found wanting in our response. In the words of the poet:
There are moments in history when wrong decisions are taken
The effects of which are felt for ages
I appeal to the Government of Pakistan that the hand of friendship that we have extended should be carried forward. This is in the interest of people of India and Pakistan.
In conclusion, I wish to convey my good wishes to the people of Jammu & Kashmir. I hope that the future will bring a new era of peace, reconciliation and development.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 10/28/2009 : 08:52:56
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Prime Minister dedicates Anantnag-Quazigund rail line in Kashmir to nation
17:13 IST
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, dedicated to the nation the newly constructed 18 km long rail line between Anantnag and Quazigund, the last stretch of the railway line in the Kashmir Valley, at a function at Anantnag today. In October 2008 and February 2009, the railway lines from Anantnag to Mazhom (66 km) and Mazhom to Baramulla (35 km) were inaugurated by the Prime Minister. The 101 km railway line which is already operational from Anantnag to Baramulla has proved to be very popular with more than 5000 passengers traveling on it every day. The additional railway line between Anantnag & Quazigund pressed into service will also benefit the residents of the Valley in a similar manner substantially. With the inauguration of this stretch, the entire 119 km long rail line from Baramulla to Quazigund in the valley has now become operational covering important stations like Sopore, Hamre, Pattan, Mazhom, Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipura, Panjgam, Bijbiara, Anantnag and Sadura in both the directions. The Prime Minister also flagged off a train from Anantnag to Quazigund on the occasion.
Also present on the occasion were the Minister of Railways, Kumari Mamata Banerjee, the Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Shri Farooq Abdullah, Governor of J&K, Shri N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister of J&K, Shri Omar Abdullah, Chairperson, UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi, Chairman, Railway Board, Shri S. S. Khurana and others. The Prime Minster also flagged off Anantnag-Quazigund train on the occasion.
With a view to provide an alternative reliable, all weathers, transportation system and to connect the State of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) with the rest of the country through railway network, Ministry of Railways planned a 345 km long railway line connecting Jammu to Baramulla via Udhampur, Katra, Reasi, Sangaldan, Banihal, Quazigund, Anantnag and Srinagar. The project is of national importance. Due to this reason, part of the project from Udhampur to Baramulla has been declared as a National Project.
The railway line from Jammu to Damper was completed and dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister on April 13, 2005. This section lies in the sub-mountainous region. It is 53 km long and has 10 km length of tunnels, 36 major bridges and 122 minor bridges. The completion cost of this stretch is Rs. 522 crore. This is also the only mountain railway in India to be built on Broad Gauge. This is in keeping with the unigauge policy of Indian Railways, which will enable instant connectivity with the remaining Indian Railway network once the construction of this project is complete.
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irse
Forum Admin
India
553 Posts |
Posted - 10/29/2009 : 03:18:11
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Prime Minister Manmohan Singh dedicated to the nation the newly-constructed 18 km railway line between Anantnag and Quazigund in Jammu and Kashmir at a function at Anantnag today. He also flagged off the first train on the section today.
The section is the last stretch of the railway line in the Kashmir valley. In October 2008 and in February this year, the railway lines from Anantnag to Mazhom (66 km) and Mazhom to Baramulla (35 km) were inaugurated by Dr Singh.
The 101 km railway line that was already operational from Anantnag to Baramulla is very popular with people in the state and more than 5000 passengers travel on the route every day. The new section is also expected to prove equally popular and benefit residents of the valley.
With today opening of the new link, the entire 119 km railway line from Baramulla to Quazigung has now become operational. It covers important stations such as Sopore, Hamre, Pattan, Mazhom, Budgam, Srinagar, Pampore, Kakapora, Awantipura, Panjgam, Bijbiara, Anantnag and Sadura.
The Railways had planned a 345 km long railway line connecting Jammu to Baramulla via Udhampur, Katra, Reasi, Sangaldan, Banihal, Quazigund, Anantnag and Srinagar to provide a reliable, all-weather transportation system and to connect Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country through the railway network. The section from Udhampur to Baramulla has been declared as a "National Project".
The line from Jammu to Damper, which lies in the sub-mountainous region, was completed and dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister on April 13, 2005. It is 53 km long and has 10 km length of tunnels, 36 major bridges and 122 minor bridges. The completion cost of this stretch is Rs. 522 crore.
It is also the only mountain railway in India to be built on Broad Gauge. This is in keeping with the unigauge policy of Indian Railways, which will enable instant connectivity with the rest of its network once the construction of the project is complete.
Rajendra Saxena |
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Jammu-Kashmir project
