Author: Peerzada Ashiq
Publication: Hindustan Times 
Date: July 4, 2014
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/live-modi-inaugurates-katra-udhampur-rail-link-security-beefed-up-for-his-j-k-visit/article1-1236547.aspx

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the inaugural train from the newly-built Katra railway station, the base camp of the Vaishno Devi shrine, to Udhampur saying the link will help in the development of Jammu.

Security has been heightened in Jammu and Kashmir for Modi's maiden visit to the Valley after taking over as the Prime Minister.

"This is a facility not only for the people of Jammu and Kashmir but also for the people of India, who want to visit Jammu and Kashmir," said Modi.

The PM suggested the new train to Katra be named Shreeshakti express and said the rail link will help in the development of Jammu.

"I assure you that there will be no shortage or obstacle in the development of Jammu," said Modi.

He added his government will make Jammu's development more qualitative and that Katra will develop very fast in the coming times.

"It is every Indian's dream that Jammu and Kashmir is happy and there is prosperity. We have to work for this, be it in power or not in power," he said.

Vishakha Saxena
@GypsyAndTonic

PM Narendra Modi inaugurates Katra-Udhampur rail link in Jammu and Kashmir. #ModiInKashmir @htTweets https://vine.co/v/MU6FnidhHah

10:37 AM - 4 Jul 2014
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Modi said the journey was started by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to connect Jammu and Kashmir through railways which has to be taken forward.

"Our aim is to win hearts of people of Jammu and Kashmir through development," the PM said.

"Jammu and Kashmir has gone through several problems and we want it to be prosperous and peaceful."

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, Union railway minister Sadananda Gowda and minister of state in the PMO Jitendra Singh and chairman of the railway board were present during the ceremony.

He also assured that India's railway stations will be modernised with proper facilities and hinted at a possibility of private investment in the Indian Railways.

More than 2,300 police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed from Srinagar to north Kashmir's border town of Uri, where the PM is scheduled to inaugurate a 240MW Uri-2 power project.

The area is close to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Heightened security's focus is to thwart any 2013-like militant attack that took place ahead of former PM Manmohan Singh's visit.

In June last year, eight armymen were killed on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Hyderpora by suicide attackers on the eve of Singh's visit.

Normal life across the valley was disrupted on Friday due to the strike call given by all the three factions of Hurriyat Conference and Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front against Modi's visit.

The authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar to prevent any law and order situation in view of the separatists' strike call.

Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari, MR Gunj and Safakadal police station areas of the city as a precautionary measure, a senior police official said.

Pilgrims will be able to directly reach Katra after Modi flagged off the first train from the station nestled in Trikuta Hills in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district.

The train for Jammu will chug along the newly constructed line from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Station.

It will traverse through seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges. There will be a small station - Chakrakhwal - between Udhampur and Katra. The 25 km-long Udhampur-Katra line has been built at an estimated cost of  Rs. 1,132.75 crore.

Modi will fly to summer capital Srinagar later in the day to address a Sainik Sammelan and a security review meeting at the Badami Bagh cantonment headquarters of army's 15th corps.

He is also scheduled to inaugurate a 240 megawatt NHPC owned hydro-power project in Uri border town before concluding his day's visit to the state.