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| J&K gets India's longest railway tunnel | | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Qazigund, Dec 28: Northern Railways Friday bestowed Jammu and Kashmir India's longest railway tunnel, as the first train chugged through Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on Srinagar-Jammu National highway.
Number of people from south Kashmir's Kulgam and Anantnag districts witnessed the trail run of the train that entered the country' longest railway tunnel, with a length of 11.21 km long, reached on Banihal station.
The tunnel constructed by Hindustan construction company (HCC), is 8.40 metres wide with a height of 7.39 metres. There is a provision of a three metre wide road along the length of the tunnel for the purpose of maintenance and emergency relief.
The tunnel has shortened the travel distance between Qazigund and Banihal from 35 kilometres (by road) to just 17.5 kilometres (by train).
The trial run was scheduled to be conducted yesterday but had to be postponed following protests by residents of villages of Dooru Anantnag falling along Qazigund-Banihal railway link, who are demanding a one-minute halt station for the train at Hillar Shahabad village.
The protesters, backed by a local politician, tried to block the track today again but the authorities agreed to construct one minute halt station at Hillar for which Northern Railways has given the written assurance.
"We received written assurance from railway department signed by deputy commissioner and SSP Annatnag. They assured us that within three days one minute halt situation will be constructed," locals said. Fallowing the assurance officials villagers allowed the trail train to pass through the area. A P Mishra, member of the Railway Board, said the train services between Banihal and Valley will start in February or March next year "while the entire railway project connecting the Valley with the rest of the country will be completed by 2017." While the Baramulla-Srinagar-Qazigund link is functional for the last four years, this was the first time that a train crossed the mighty Pir Panjal Mountain range.
The rail link will provide an alternative link between Kashmir and rest of the country as Srinagar-Jammu National Highway gets blocked regularly due to heavy snowfall during winter months. |
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