Commando forces of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), popularly known as CORAS, have been deployed for the security of Vande Bharat trains on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line, ferrying passengers between the Kashmir Valley and Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar in J-K — the first train connection between the Kashmir valley and the Jammu region.
“The RPF’s Commandos for Railway Security (CORAS) have been deployed on Vande Bharat trains on USBRL (Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link) between Katra and Kashmir,” an official told PTI.
The commandos made their presence felt on the inaugural trains flagged off by the prime minister.
Each of the two Vande Bharat trains will have 15 commandos and a supervisor each on board to ensure the security and safety of train travel, officials said.
The units have been recently brought from outside and will be based in the Budgam area of the Kashmir valley and the Katra belt of Reasi district.
After focusing on high-risk security operations, especially in areas with threats like Naxalite insurgency, this is the first time CORAS has been deployed in J-K.
With the official flag-off by the prime minister, the Indian Railways will commence regular operations of the two new Vande Bharat trains on June 7. The trains will run six days a week, with Tuesdays reserved for maintenance, Railway officials said.
To begin with, the trains will operate between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar, as the Jammu Tawi station is currently under redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, they added.
These trains are not only fast but also tailored for Kashmir’s challenging climate. Equipped with advanced heating systems, frost-proof windshields and comfortable interiors, they offer year-round travel, even in harsh winter conditions, the officials said.
This step has been taken in view of the sensitive nature of travel in J-K.
The prime minister dedicated the USBRL project to the nation by inaugurating the world’s highest railway bridge on the Chenab River.
The 272-km-long USBRL project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges, the officials said.
The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration, they added.
