Goa, June 8 -- In a landmark moment for Indian Railways and the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated the Vande Bharat Express service between Katra and Srinagar, ushering in all-weather, high-speed rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley for the very first time.

The service, which commenced regular operations on June 7, is a significant milestone under the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project. Widely regarded as an engineering marvel, the USBRL line traverses some of the most challenging Himalayan terrain and includes record-breaking structures such as the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River and the iconic Anji Khad cable-stayed brid...