ON TRACK OR OFF? Railways’ startling revelation: Kashmir division missing

Srinagar, Dec 27: In a startling revelation, the divisional office of Northern Railway at Ferozepur has officially declared that, according to their records, the Kashmir division does not exist within the Indian Railway framework.

The revelation of the absence of the Kashmir division in official records has sparked concerns among the stakeholders.

This disclosure came in response to a Right to Information (RTI) application filed by RTI activist M M Shuja, who sought information about the number of employees in the Kashmir division of the Railways.

About the number of coaches introduced since 2019 and new coaches to be introduced, the office said that the introduction of new trains was a policy matter to be decided by the Railway Board.

However, shedding light on connectivity projects, the divisional office did provide information about the ongoing Udhampur-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir.

The project aims to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country through the Indian Railway network.

According to the official document, the latest sanctioned cost for the USBRL project is a staggering Rs 37,012.26 crore.

The cumulative expenditure on the project up to October 23 stands at Rs 37,161 crore.

However, the divisional office disclosed that the Udhampur-Katra section (UHP-SVDK) has already commenced and additionally, the under-construction Khari-Banihal section was expected to commence shortly, further advancing the railway connectivity in the region.