New Delhi, Sept. 18 -- Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who recently visited J&K, announced that the train would reach Kashmir by 2024. He also assured that Jammu-Poonch railway link would be completed after addressing viability issues of the area.

The foundation stone of the railway project to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country was laid by the then Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda in 1997 and since then it has missed many deadlines.

The idea of bringing organised transport to Kashmir was first floated in 1898 and was followed in 1902 and 1905 by the then British government. It intended to reach the region by rail, including a 2 feet or 2 feet 6 inch gauge electric railway climbing to 11,000 feet over the Pir Panjal Mountain ...