Srinagar, Feb. 3 -- The Centre's allocation of Rs 1,086 crore for railway infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir in the latest Union Budget, announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, underlines the government's push to strengthen connectivity in the Union Territory in the years following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.

At a time when infrastructure is increasingly seen as a driver of stability and growth, railways have emerged as a key pillar of the region's development strategy.

For decades, development in Kashmir was discussed more as a promise than a lived reality. Political instability, difficult terrain, and prolonged security challenges meant that infrastructure, especially transport, lagged behind the re...