Want increase in frequency, capacity of trains: CM Abdullah on Vande Bharat extension

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the upcoming train service from Jammu Terminal to Srinagar, scheduled to begin on Thursday, will significantly boost the tourism sector in the Union Territory. In a major boost to rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, a specially designed Vande Bharat Express will operate between the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar from April 30, officials said. The premium train service, which has been running between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar for over nine months, will now be extended up to Jammu Tawi. Reacting to the development, Abdullah said that the enhanced capacity of the train service would allow more passengers to travel, thereby improving connectivity and supporting tourism. ''It will definitely give a boost (to the tourism sector). You may recall that I have repeatedly pointed out that the train's capacity has been limited so far. Only an eight-coach train was running between Katra and Srinagar. Now, it will be a twenty-coach train, which means more passengers will be able to travel,'' he told reporters here. Abdullah further said that such services should continue, and we want both the frequency and capacity of trains to increase. The chief minister added that any additional issues or suggestions regarding the service would be raised during the official function on April 30 in the presence of the minister concerned. On the startup ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah, while acknowledging that his state lags behind many states that started their startup initiatives earlier, said, ''We can learn from their experiences, and the mistakes they made do not need to be repeated by us.'' He noted that the startup policy announced in 2024 has laid the foundation for growth, with budgetary provisions now in place to support funding and development. ''We are trying to build an ecosystem for startups here,'' he said, adding that during his recent visit to the Government College of Engineering and Technology, a demand was raised for setting up an incubation centre. ''We will work on establishing an incubation centre there this year,'' Abdullah said. He also inaugurated the School of Architecture (SoA) building on Monday at the college in Jammu, marking a significant step towards strengthening technical education infrastructure in the state. Minister Sakina Itoo and MLA Nagrota Devyani Rana were present on the occasion. The new facility is expected to enhance academic capacity and provide improved learning opportunities for students in the region.

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