The 25-kilometer long Udhampur-Katra railway link was supposed to have been completed in September this year and thrown open for normal traffic during the Navratra festival. But the Northern Railways have missed the third fixture for the reason of shortage of skilled manpower with the railways. People are disappointed that the link has not been completed and running of railway to the holy town of Katra, the base town for pilgrimage to the shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi in Reasi district has been delayed. But it has to be understood that the 25-km track is not that easy as one would imagine. It has 11 tunnels, 29 bridges and a number of other peculiarities. Two tunnels had been seeping and this had to be taken care of. We appreciate the eagerness of the people to ride the railway from their place of origin to the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine but we should be very considerate in leveling criticism against the railways. The railway from Jammu to Srinagar via Udhampur is a marvel and finds place in the technical wonders of the world. We are well aware that the concerned at the railway ministry and the Northern Railways are deeply involved in seeing to it that rail link to Katra is completed as early as possible. We hope the important Udhampur-Katra link is completed as early as possible.
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