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Srinagar, Oct 11 (UNI) The dreams of the people of the Kashmir valley finally came true today when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh flagged off the valley's first ever train, equipped with snow cutting type cattle guard, from Srinagar station at Nowgam, about 10 km from here in central Kashmir.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz, Governor N N Vohra, former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and other senior civil and police officials were present on the historic occasion when Dr Singh gave a green signal to the first rail in Kashmir.
The commercial run of the train, all weather dependable transport service, will began from tomorrow between Rajwansher in the central Kashmir district of Badgam to Anantnag in south Kashmir, a distance of 66 kms.
As Dr Singh gave the green signal (waived green flag), the driver of the train started first dream run from the station which is a stunning three-storey building having beautifully carved wooden panelling and chandeliers and is surrounded by landscaped gardens.
The other VVIPs were also waiving green flag when the train moved forward from the station, writing another chapter in Kashmir's history.
Unprecedented security arrangements had been made to foil any militant attempt to create any disturbance during the inauguration of the train.
However, connecting the Kashmir valley to the rest of the country through rail still remained a distant dream though work on the Udhampur-Qazigund project was going on war footing.
The distance of 66 km from Rajwansher in Badgam to Anantnag will be covered in 1 hour and 35 minutes on each side and a passenger will have to pay Rs 15, several times less than the rate being charged by other mode of surface transport.
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