Baramulla-Qazigund rail-route to be operationalised by Dec end

Jammu, Jan 19 (UNI) The much-awaited Baramulla-Qazigund railway route will be operationalised by the year end and Udhampur-Katra will also be made operational during the current year, General Manager Northern Railway V N Mathur informed today.

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad reviewed the expansion work of railway network from Udhampur to Katra and Qazigund to Baramulla and Jammu and Srinagar railway network here.

Besides Mr Mathur other senior officers of Railway also attended the meeting. Railway officials informed Srinagar-Jammu railway track will pass through 45 tunnels, of which Banihal rail tunnel will be 11 km long. At present work on 12 tunnels was in progress, the officials said.

They also informed as many as 50 stations have been identified on this track and Rs 120 crore shall be transferred to Jammu and Kashmir State PWD for construction of approach roads to these stations and tunnels.

Mr Azad advised secretary R&B Shailendra Kumar to immediately take up the matter of construction of all approach roads to identified tunnels and stations so that work for creating necessary infrastructure could be taken up on a priority basis.

''I have already urged the Civil Aviation Ministry to ensure operationalisation of international airport at Srinagar, equipped with all modern and an international standard infrastructure, during current year,'' Mr Azad said.

He said the simultaneous operation of the international airport and Srinagar-Baramulla and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks will give a fillip to the state's economy, trade, commerce and tourist activities.

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