The railway division of Jammu and Kashmir from New Delhi was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 6 and Union minister Jitendra Singh promised that Kashmir is set to get connected with the rest of the country through rail link anytime soon. However the aspirations for smooth journeys for travellers within the Union Territory came to a halt soon after it was revealed that passengers in Srinagar to Delhi or other destinations and vice versa will be mandatorily deboarded at Katra or Jammu railway station for security purposes.

Political parties in J&K have criticised this step and described the decision as an 'unnecessary burden' on the people of the valley.

In a report by The New Indian Express, a top official was quoted explaining the new system of terminating the train journey from either Srinagar or Delhi at Katra or Jammu stations as part of security arrangements. He reportedly said, “The changing point will be one of the two railway stations. Either it will be Katra or Jammu and it will be decided soon. The travellers will have to deboard at either Jammu or Katra railway station and then board another train to continue their journey."

In the case of trains travelling from Srinagar to Delhi will also be needed to stop at Katra or Jammu and the travellers will have to board another train to complete their journey to other parts in the valley.

At Jammu and Katra train stations the passengers will go through thorough screening before they board another train.

The official said, “It is not possible in every station to check passengers and their luggage. For this reason, it has been decided that the passengers would have to deboard either at Jammu or Katra railway station and then board another train,” he said.

In the Kashmir route the trains will only be available during daytime, added the official.

The Railway Board on Tuesday unveiled a Vande Bharat Express train, specially-designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu & Kashmir's challenging winter conditions, for the upcoming Katra-Srinagar rail route.

Stationed at Shakurbasti coaching depot in New Delhi, the train has special climate-related features, according to Railways.

Describing its features to mediapersons, Railway officials said that the train has several additional features as compared to the other 136 Vande Bharat Express trains currently running in different parts of the country so that it can meet the operational challenges and passengers' amenities in extreme weather conditions of J-K.

PM Modi’s visit to the US also included a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden, during which they discussed various global issues, including the situation in Ukraine. President Biden praised PM Modi for his visit to Ukraine and his message of peace.

Northern Railways has announced that three trains – one Vande Bharat and two Mail Express – will run daily between Katra and Srinagar.

The Vande Bharat train will leave Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Railway Station in Katra at 8:10 am and reach Srinagar Railway Station at 11:20 am. One Mail Express will depart from Katra at 9:50 am and arrive in Srinagar at 1:10 pm, while the other Mail Express will leave at 3:00 pm and reach Srinagar at 6:20 pm.

A successful high-speed "rising grade" trial run was completed on the Katra-Banihal section of the USBRL project, marking a milestone in Indian Railway history. The trial, conducted at 110 km/h on challenging terrain, paves the way for direct rail services to Kashmir, with a final decision pending after data analysis from the inspection.

Reportedly, PM Modi might be launching the train service to Kashmir on January 26.

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday criticised reports that train passengers travelling to and from Kashmir are required to mandatorily deboard at Katra due to security concerns, calling the move a needless inconvenience to the people.

The party described the decision as an unnecessary burden on the people of the valley and said it further exacerbates their hardships.

PDP General Secretary Mohammad Khurshid Alam criticised the measure, stating that it undermines the much-touted promise of convenience for Kashmiris.

"For years, we were told that train services to Kashmir would benefit the common masses and ease travel. This latest directive shows that Kashmiris are still far from experiencing any real travel convenience. The train services, which were inaugurated amid great fanfare, are turning out to be nothing more than a facade," Alam said.

He described the arrangement as an additional burden on travellers, particularly the elderly and those travelling for medical treatment.

"This decision subjects ordinary people to unnecessary hardships. Security concerns should not be used as an excuse. Adequate checks can be conducted at the start of the journey. Forcing passengers to de-board midway and board another train in the name of security is both humiliating and impracticallucky horse," the PDP leader added.

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