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As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district on Friday, a group of students gathered at the Katra railway station to welcome him. Locals and tourists also waited eagerly for the launch of two Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Katra to Srinagar.
During his visit, PM Modi is expected to inaugurate the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, along with infrastructure projects worth Rs 46,000 crore. The students, who came to the station amid tight security, expressed their excitement over the visit and said they hoped the new trains would boost the local economy and tourism. "We have come here to welcome Modi ji. The first Vande Bharat train will go from here, we might also go in the train... As India is developing, different states are developing too. I am very excited for this train," one of the students told ANI. Another student shared her enthusiasm for the development in the region. "We are happy that Katra is developing. It is a platform to show the region too, as the PM has done things for us. And for the first time, the Vande Bharat will be going from here. I am very excited. I am getting goosebumps for his visit. I will definitely go to Srinagar if I get the chance. If this pace of development continues, J&K will soon be at par with other states." Tourists who are in the region for sightseeing and to witness the Vande Bharat launch also expressed their excitement. Jaiswal, a tourist from Banaras who lives in PM Modi's constituency, said he had been in Jammu and Kashmir for the past two days and was eagerly waiting for the trains to start. He added that whenever he visits Srinagar in the future, he will prefer to travel by Vande Bharat. "Now the rail is going to Srinagar, that too over such a big bridge which no one had thought about before, and now it is in front of us. The Vande Bharat train will go on it. This is the world's highest railway bridge. We did not expect such a thing. It is the biggest thing that Modi ji will be inaugurating it," he told ANI. He further added, "I could not have imagined how great the convenience would be for us to travel to Srinagar. It is very nice that a dream is being fulfilled. People have so much happiness in their hearts. I tried to board the Srinagar Vande Bharat today, but it is starting from tomorrow. Otherwise, I would have gone today." Security has been tightened across Udhampur and Reasi districts ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, with increased inspections and vigilance, especially in Katra. The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat will run on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272 km long project built at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore. The project includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges. (ANI)
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