Union Minister of State ( Independent Charge) for Science &Technology, Earth Sciences and MoS PMO, Jitendra Singh on Monday billed the creation of the new Jammu Railway Division as a historic milestone.

The Union Minister upbraided the successive governments for their failure to connect Kashmir with the rest of country through rail network.

He said that the first trains pulled out from Jammu railway station in 1972 years ago and it has been 53 years since the milestone was achieved.

“Was this delay because of the lack of political will or resistance from those opposing the integration of Kashmir with the rest of India via rail links”, said the Union Minister on the occasion of inauguration of Jammu Railway Division.

• Also read: India set to add 18 GW coal-based power capacity by FY26

The newly carved out Railway Division will include five sections – Bhogpur Sirwal-Pathankot; Batala-Pathankot; Pathankot-Joginder Nagar; Pathankot-Jammu- Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Udhampur Railway Station and Srinagar-Baramulla. The section will span to a combined distance of 742.1 km. Presently, Jammu falls under the Ferozpur division of Northern Railway zone.

On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Jammu Railway Division virtually from New Delhi.

Singh said that Prime Minister Modi revolutionised railways after 2014.“After becoming the Prime Minister, his key programme was the inauguration of Katra railway station”, said the Union Minister.

In his inaugural address, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the railway division was a long-standing demand of the people of Jammu and today it was fulfilled.

Abdullah said that the inauguration of division marked a historic day. He said that the rail connectivity would strengthen Jammu’s economy. The Chief Minister said that the new railway division would create new employment opportunities for youth.

He said that there were apprehensions that the direct trains to Kashmir might impact Jammu’s business. “But I want to assure the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the region will get benefited from it”, Abdullah said.

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in his address said that PM Modi transformed the dreams into reality.

He said that it had been a long-standing dream to connect Kanyakumari with Kashmir, and today, under the leadership of PM Modi that dream has come true.