The recent announcement by the Railways Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw that the train would reach Kashmir by 2024 is a welcome statement but at the same time people of Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch have a bitter question to be responded by the Minister as to why the work of Jammu-Poonch railway link could not begin yet even after nearly three years of its announcement. The Railway Minister, who was recently on a J&K visit, has in a way shown keen interest for trains to Kashmir than to the long standing demand of the people of this region for having a railway connectivity.
He sidetracked the issue by merely by a routine assurance that Jammu-Poonch railway link would be completed after addressing viability issues of the area.
Over seven decades, the dream of the local people of the region to have a rail-link remained as a pipe-dream for all these years as the governments in J&K and New Delhi never bothered for the people of Jammu Division. Their focus remained Kashmir. The Jammu–Poonch railway line was proposed via the historic city of Akhnoor to Poonch via Kaleeth–Dori Dager–Chowki Choura–Bhambla–Nowshera–Rajouri. The line was designated a national project on 22 March 2012.[1]
It was on 23rd December 2018, when Railway Minister Piyush Goel gave approval to Jammu-Rajouri- Poonch Rail link by making a provision of Rs. 2370 Crores in the upcoming Railway budget to give this project final shape and start the work on ground. He further declared that the project will be completed in the next three years and will connect Pir Panchal region of Jammu province with the rest of the country through rail link. This decision of the Central Government has widely been welcomed by the people of this region.
It was a celebration day for the people of border Districts of Poonch Rajouri. But the celebration was short-lived as no physical work could start till then and after the next three months the originally announced time-line of three years will be over.
The Jammu-Poonch Rail project was initially conceived by the then Railway minister Mukal Rai of UPA Government in 2012 who had declared it as a national project. However, except the survey of the project, nothing was done by the then UPA Government on this project neither present NDA Government paid any attention towards this important project upto 2018. The state governments of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state had shown least interest in the project for political reasons as they always wanted to develop more connectivity of Rajouri Poonch sub-region with the Kashmir valley than its proximity to Jammu region. So much so, the former chief minister Omar Abdullah had been on record when he advocated more for a rail link between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) instead of putting some efforts with the central government on the provision of rail line to Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch. Omar had said that his government was very eager to connect the hearts of people and promote friendship and love between India and Pakistan, while he had not shown any such zeal for connecting the people of Jammu region.
The then railway minister, Mukul Roy had announced that he was pursuing the inclusion of four critical projects as national projects, which included Jammu–Poonch line and Bilaspur–Leh line.
It was only after the declaration of Baramulla-Kupwara Rail link on 30th November 2018 when there was great resentment among the public of Jammu province in general and Poonch-Rajouri in particular, the Central Government agreed to the proposal.
As per the proposal of the Railway ministry, this Rail link will pass through Akhnoor, Kaleeth, Dori, Dagar, Chowki Choura, Bhambla, Sunderbani, Nowshera, Rajouri and ultimately Poonch town. The total Rail length shall be 234.12 kms. The survey on Jammu-Poonch railway line has already been completed and routes finalized. It will benefit a large number of people of twin border Districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
In this context and keeping in view the demand of the public of Poonch and Rajouri, the then Railway Minister Piyush Goel announced the construction of rail link from Jammu to Poonch which has not yet taken off at ground. Rail link shall generate employment avenues for educated youths, beneficial for skilled and unskilled workers, will strengthen the economy of the area and will help in reducing the poverty from the people of remote and border areas. Thus centre should show similar seriousness for commencing physical work on ground for the project as it shows for trains to Kashmir.
