Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the Vande Bharat Express to inaugurate the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat service, at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi station, in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, Friday, June 6, 2025. J & K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah are also seen.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Chenab and Anji rail bridges, marking a major step forward in strengthening rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of India. He also flagged off the new Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar.
This was the Prime Minister’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor and pounded terror infrastructure in Pakistan with bombs.
Video Credit: Businessline
Modi was accompanied by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of State Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves after flagging off the Vande Bharat Express to inaugurate the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat service, at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi station, in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, Friday, June 6, 2025
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Decorated with a string of flowers, the Prime Minister also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar, signalling the start of regular train service through the completed route. He also interacted with the school children on board.
Earlier, Modi visited a viewpoint overlooking the Chenab Bridge in Reasi, regarded as the tallest railway bridge in the world, and interacted with engineers and workers involved in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
Billed as the highest railway arch bridge in the world, the Chenab Bridge, stretching 1,315 meters with a 467-metre arch and standing 359 meters above the river, rises about 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Chenab Bridge June 6, 2025
| Photo Credit: IMRAN NISSAR
The 272-kilometre-long USBRL project, originally approved in 1994-95 during the government of former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao with an estimated cost of ₹37,012 crore, experienced prolonged delays due to regional unrest and difficult geological and topographical conditions. Eventually completed at a cost of approximately ₹43,780 crore, the project includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges.
Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, The Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of the Hon PM @narendramodi ji tomorrow. Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be… pic.twitter.com/bthZVHQ33j
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 5, 2025
The newly opened Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, is engineered to withstand the region’s rugged landscape and is expected to play a key role in improving transport and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. The bridge spans 2,830 feet and stands 1,086 feet above the ground. Its most striking feature is the main pylon, which soars 633 feet from its base — placing it among the tallest structures of its kind in the country.
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Published on June 6, 2025