PM Modi to flag off first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir on April 19, says Jitendra Singh
Jammu (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir on April 19 from Katra, marking the completion of the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.
The Jammu-Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will initially operate from Katra as the Jammu railway station is undergoing renovation.
According to officials, the rail link project was completed last month. Trial runs of the train on the Katra-Baramulla route have been successfully conducted. The Commissioner of Railway Safety approved the train service between Katra and Kashmir in January, they said.
The Vande Bharat Express is expected to significantly reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar, providing a modern and efficient rail service for the region, they said.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu on Sunday, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said, "Prime Minister Modi will arrive in Udhampur on April 19. He will visit the world's highest railway bridge and inaugurate it. After that, he will flag off the Vande Bharat train from Katra."
The inauguration of the train will fulfil a long demand for direct rail connectivity to Kashmir. Currently, train services operate only between Sangaldan and Baramulla in the Valley and from Katra to destinations across the country.
Officials said the ambitious project to link Kashmir by train began in 1997 but faced multiple delays due to geological, topographical, and meteorological challenges.
The project includes 38 tunnels spanning a total of 119 km, with the longest among them being the 12.75 km-long Tunnel T-49. It is also the country's longest transportation tunnel.
The project also features 927 bridges, covering a combined length of 13 kilometres. Among them is the iconic Chenab Bridge, which has an overall length of 1,315 meters, an arch span of 467 meters, and stands 359 meters above the riverbed. Being 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, it is set to be the world’s highest arch railway bridge.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Man kills wife, two children before ending his life in Kalaburagi
Kalaburagi (Karnataka), Apr 3 (PTI): A 45-year-old man allegedly murdered his wife and two children before hanging himself at their apartment in Kalaburagi on the evening of April 2, police said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at Gabre Layout, near Old Jewargi Road, under Station Bazar police station limits.
The deceased have been identified as Santosh, a Senior Assistant at the Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited (GESCOM), his wife and their two sons, police said.
According to police, the woman and the two children were "strangled to death", while Santosh died by suicide.
A death note was also recovered from the scene.
"Preliminary information suggests the couple had been married for 10 years and frequently fought. They had severed ties with their family for the past seven years. The death note mentions frequent misunderstandings and quarrels between them as the reason," Police Commissioner Sharanappa S D said.
Speaking to reporters, he stated, "We have registered a murder case. The Scene of Crime Officer (SOCO) team, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and fingerprint experts have inspected the site. The exact timing of the incident is yet to be determined, but it likely occurred between 6-8 pm."
According to the police, after taking the lives of his wife and children, Santosh called a member of his wife's family, informing them about the incident and indicating that he intended to end his own life.
"The family member tried to dissuade him from ending his life, but in vain. When they arrived, the door was locked from the inside. Upon breaking it open, they discovered the bodies," police said, adding that further investigation is underway.
