Srinagar, June 5 -- Speaking at Katra Railway Station ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled inauguration of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line on Friday, Abdullah recalled how the project had been in the making since his school days.

"If I say I've been waiting for this day for a long time, it won't be an exaggeration. This project began when I was in class 7 or 8. Today, my children have completed their education and are working," he told reporters.

The rail service, he said, will finally connect Kashmir with the rest of India through an all-weather route and ease the burden on travelers who often pay exorbitant airfares when road access via the Jammu-Srinagar highway is cut off due to snowfall or landslides.

"As so...