Srinagar, Jun 19: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday took a ride on the newly launched Vande Bharat Express from Srinagar to Katra, officials said.Omar was accompanied by his advisor, Nasir Aslam Wani.
“ Omar boarded the Vande Bharat train for Katra from the Nowgam Railway Station this morning,” an official said. ” He will later head to Jammu.”
This comes just nine days after his father, veteran politician and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah, also travelled on the same train to Katra.
The Vande Bharat Express, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, began operations on June 7 and has quickly gained immense popularity among locals, pilgrims, and tourists. The two semi-high-speed trains now connect the Kashmir Valley to Jammu’s Katra town via Banihal, operating six days a week, with Wednesday as the only non-operational day. Most of the train’s services are already fully booked, reflecting the public enthusiasm for this long-awaited project.At the train’s official launch event on June 6, Omar Abdullah had lauded the development as a historic milestone.
“Even during British rule, plans were envisioned — such as the proposed Uri and Jhelum railway lines — but they remained unfulfilled. What the British could not achieve, you (Narendra Modi) have made a reality. You have connected Kashmir with the rest of India and, through it, to the wider world. This is a historic accomplishment,” he said.
