New train service between Jammu and Haridwar flagged off
STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: To facilitate pilgrims, a new train service was on Sunday flagged off between City of Temples Jammu and the holy city of Haridwar.
The weekly train service was flagged off at Jammu Railway Station by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh through video conferencing from Mumbai and New Delhi respectively.
Addressing the people through video link, Prabhu congratulated them and noted it was a long-pending demand of the people to get a second train connecting the two cities.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jitendra said that his personal presence at Railway headquarters during the flagging-off ceremony was meant to convey a deep sense of gratitude on behalf of the people of Jammu for the manner in which, one after the other, the Ministry of Railways had positively responded to the needs and demands of the people of Jammu.
Dr. Jitendra said, for we, the Indians, a train or rail does not mean a mere means of transport but much more than that and is therefore, deeply embedded in our psyche and culture thus instantly conjuring up images of movement, progress and reaching out to people and places.
He also referred to the plan for setting up a new Railway Station at Kathua, expansion of Udhampur Railway Station and setting up of sitting benches and shades at Kathua, Udhampur and Ram Nagar Railway Stations, for which he is also contributing from his MPLAD.
MPs Jugal Kishore Sharma, Shamsher Singh Manhas and MLC Ramesh Arora were present at Jammu Railway Station on the occasion.
The inaugural Jammu Tawi Haridwar Weekly Express departed from Jammu at 12.10 PM and is scheduled to reach Haridwar at 10.25 PM today, with enroute stoppages at Pathankot Cant, Jalandhar Cant, Ludhiana, Khanna, Sirhind, Rajpura, Ambala City, Ambala Cant, Jagadhari and Saharanpur stations.
The service will commence from Haridwar on August 21.
