Lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday said that Kashmir will be connected to Kanyakumari by the end of this financial year.
Sinha was attending a ceremony at Budgam railway station coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launch of the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and foundation stone laying for the redevelopment of 508 railway stations across the country under the scheme, through video conferencing, at a cost of more than ₹24,470 crore.
Sinha expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for including three stations of J&K Union Territory (UT)– Jammu Tawi, Udhampur and Budgam– under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
He said the redevelopment of railway stations in the UT will give huge boost to connectivity and ease of travel for passengers.
“I believe railway connectivity is the lifeline of a society. A railway line not only strengthens connectivity with different regions but it also brings economic prosperity and transforms standard of living and creates a new destiny of the region concerned,” Sinha was quoted by an official spokesperson.
He said that J&K was witnessing rail projects of unprecedented magnitude in Kashmir valley.
“Kashmir will be connected to Kanyakumari by the end of this financial year. It will connect the valley with all important commercial centres of the country,” the Lt Governor added.
He further said that the Railway Board has sanctioned five Final Location Survey works in Kashmir-Doubling of Baramulla-Banihal Railway Line, New Baramulla-Uri, Awantipora-Shopian, Sopore-Kupwara and Anantnag-Bijbehara-Pahalgam Rail Line. Once approved, the new networks will boost rail connectivity in the valley, he added.
