CM Omar seeks increased frequency and capacity for Vande Bharat train extension

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the upcoming train service from Jammu Terminal to Srinagar, scheduled to begin on Thursday, will significantly boost the tourism sector in the Union Territory.In a major boost to rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, a specially designed Vande Bharat Express will operate between the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar from April 30, officials said.

The premium train service, which has been running between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar for over nine months, will now be extended up to Jammu Tawi.Reacting to the development, Abdullah said that the enhanced capacity of the train service would allow more passengers to travel, thereby improving connectivity and supporting tourism.

“It will definitely give a boost (to the tourism sector). You may recall that I have repeatedly pointed out that the train’s capacity has been limited so far. Only an eight-coach train was running between Katra and Srinagar. Now, it will be a twenty-coach train, which means more passengers will be able to travel,” he told reporters here.Abdullah further said that such services should continue, and we want both the frequency and capacity of trains to increase.

The chief minister added that any additional issues or suggestions regarding the service would be raised during the official function on April 30 in the presence of the minister concerned.On the startup ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah, while acknowledging that his state lags behind many states that started their startup initiatives earlier, said, “We can learn from their experiences, and the mistakes they made do not need to be repeated by us.”

He noted that the startup policy announced in 2024 has laid the foundation for growth, with budgetary provisions now in place to support funding and development.“We are trying to build an ecosystem for startups here,” he said, adding that during his recent visit to the Government College of Engineering and Technology, a demand was raised for setting up an incubation centre.

“We will work on establishing an incubation centre there this year,” Abdullah said.He also inaugurated the School of Architecture (SoA) building on Monday at the college in Jammu, marking a significant step towards strengthening technical education infrastructure in the state.

Minister Sakina Itoo and MLA Nagrota Devyani Rana were present on the occasion. The new facility is expected to enhance academic capacity and provide improved learning opportunities for students in the region. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday condemned the shooting incident at a venue in Washington where the US President Donald Trump was present, saying violence has no place in politics and expressing relief that he survived.

Abdullah batted strongly for facilitating lasting peace in West Asia and said that dialogue must continue, even if through alternative means.“Thank God he survived, and I did not want anything to happen to him,” Abdullah said while responding to a query on the sidelines of a function here.

Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President J D Vance and other top officials were evacuated unharmed from the annual dinner of the White House Correspondents’ Association at the Washington Hilton hotel after a man armed with multiple weapons fired shots outside the hotel ballroom on Sunday.

Describing politics as “a very dirty thing,” he said that differences should be expressed verbally and democratically, and not through violence. “Harming someone is never justified anywhere. Such life-threatening attacks are unacceptable, and I hope incidents like this never happen to any  political leader,” he told reporters.

Referring to the situation in J&K, the chief minister said that the region has witnessed decades of violence and attacks on political leaders. “No one understands this better than we do in J&K. Over the past 30–35 years, many people from different political parties—be it BJP, National Conference, Congress or CPI(M)—have lost their workers and leaders to bullets and terrorism. This should never have happened,” he said.

On international developments following mediation, Abdullah also reacted to the cancellation of US envoy-level talks scheduled in Pakistan concerning Iran. He said that dialogue must continue, even if through alternative means. “It is fine if talks are held over the phone, but they should take place,” he said. Emphasising the need for stability, he said, “We want peace to be restored and the ongoing tensions to end once and for all. Iran should be allowed to live in peace. Whatever has happened is done, but now the focus should be on organising lasting peace.”