24×7 patrolling of track in isolated areas
Jammu, May 17: Fresh security audit of the railway track from Katra to Sangaldan has been completed and extra forces are being deployed at some vulnerable places to fully secure the route before launch of train services to the Kashmir valley.
Officials told the Excelsior that fresh security audit of the track was undertaken in the aftermath of April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed by the terrorists. Though adequate security arrangements were already in place on the track to thwart any terror attack, they are being further strengthened with deployment of additional forces.
“Additional GRP personnel are being deployed along the track while security of tunnels and bridges including world’s highest railway bridge over river Chenab and India’s first cable-stayed bridge over Anji Khad have been found adequate,” they said.
All tunnels are under CCTV surveillance and will be patrolled 24×7 along with the bridges including Chenab and Anji Khad, the sources said, adding that some problems were seen along open railway track especially the area beyond Reasi which are considered to be vulnerable.
The track passes from isolated areas at some places beyond Reasi where populated villages are very less and, in view of this; it has been decided to deploy additional GRP personnel in all these areas.
“Entire track has been secured-be it the tunnels, bridges and vulnerable areas right from Katra to Sangaldan. The track beyond Reasi is now also clear from security point of view,” the sources said.
Declining to share number of security personnel who will be deployed on the railway track from Katra to Sangaldan, they, however, described the numbers as adequate.
“Initially the train will run from Katra to Baramulla.
However, after completion of expansion work at Jammu Railway Station including increase in number of platforms, the train to Valley will start operations from Jammu, most likely in August-September,” the sources said.
Several trials of train from Katra to Baramulla including that of Vande Bharat have been successful and now security issues have also been taken into account, the sources said, adding a train recently chugged from Katra to Srinagar carrying the Army personnel back on duty.
“The train moved without any hindrance. However, certain shortcomings noticed earlier have been overcome,” they said.
Out of the total 272-kilometer, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 kilometer was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118-kilometre Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18-kilometre Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25-kilometre Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1-kilometre long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February, last year.
The work on the 46- kilometer Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17 kilometer stretch between Reasi and Katra which was also completed nearly three months back leading to start of different trials of trains including that of Vande Bharat.
The project involved a cost of Rs 41,000 crore.
