Work on Jammu-Katra rail section stalled

Phagwara, Mar 15 (UNI) Divisional Railway Manager (Ferozpur) Satish Kumar today said that the work on Jammu-Katra rail section had been stalled following a "technical snag" at a tunnel between Jammu and Udhampur.

The rail link could take upto two years to complete and a consultant has been engaged fron Austria for rectifying the snag, Mr Kumar said while pointing out that water was seeping into the tunnel.

Talking to mediapersons, he said that while work on the Jammu-Udhampur rail line had been completed the difficulty between Udhampur-Katra rail line arose after water seepage into the tunnel.

About installation of tracks on remaining parts of Katra-Srinagar section, the DRM said that railways was facing several technical problems in installation of rail lines as the railways had to construct a 400 metres height railway bridge on Channav river. He said that the work on Kaji Kund-Baramula section would be completed in one year, while 70 km Anantnag-Rajwanshah section would be ready in next six months. He further said that railways would soon construct 40 km long Mannawala-Patti rail section to start Amritsar-Firozepur rail section.

He disclosed that nine railway stations of Firozpur division--Phagwara, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Jammu Tawi, Chakki Bank, Beas and Firozpur--would be made as "Model Stations" to provide ultra modern facilities to rail passengers.

On the increasing incidents of accidents at unmanned level crossings, he said that in the Ferozpur division, 570 unmanned level crossings would be converted into manned in phases. He said that 42 unmanned level crossings were converted in manned during last year while 35 would be converted this year. He said 18 unmanned crossings were identified which would be closed permanently.

On increasing encroachments on railway's properties, Mr Kumar said that railways had set up 'Railways Land Development Authority' to remove the encroachments and to develop the railway land for commercial purposes. Anti-encroachment drive would soon be launched to remove illegal encroachments, he added.

The DRM claimed that income of Firozpur division had been increased by 15 per cent as compare to last year.

UNI XC PS MMS1638