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Gulmarg (Meadow of Flowers) is a town in Baramulla district in the state of Jammu & Kashmir in India.Gulmarg lies in a cup-shaped valley in the Pir Panjal Range of the Western Himalayas, at an altitude of 8694 feet, some 56 kms from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu & Kashmir.It is a famous tourist and skiing destination.
I was off for a short trip to the Vale of Kashmir and I have missed a lot of your uploads.Hope to make up in the next few days.:-)
Might be worth a look in large.
Gulmarg (Hindustani pronunciation: [gʊlmərɡ]), known as Gulmarag[4] (Kashmiri pronunciation: [ɡulmarɨɡ] ; lit. 'meadow of flowers')[5] in Kashmiri, is a town, a hill station, a popular skiing destination and a notified area committee in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.[6][7]The Distance 31 Km from Baramulla and 49 Km from Srinagar. The town is situated in the Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas and lies within the boundaries of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
In the first half of the first millennium, the Kashmir region became an important centre of Hinduism and later of Buddhism; later still, in the ninth century, Kashmir Shaivism arose.
In 1339, Shah Mir became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir.
1820 year, the Sikh Empire, under Ranjit Singh, annexed Kashmir.
In 1846, after the Sikh defeat in the First Anglo-Sikh War, and upon the purchase of the region from the British under the Treaty of Amritsar, the Raja of Jammu, Gulab Singh, became the new ruler of Kashmir.
During the partition of India in 1947-48 Kashmir became the integral part of India. During that time of confusion, Pakistan and China illegally occupied certain parts of northern Kashmir.
The awes m unending Green Meadows, The peaceful blue skies and the alluring green vegetation is most unique to this part of The Planet. Perfect place to harvest Oneself and merge with The God.
In the Battle of Turtuk, in 1971, Indian forces captured Turtuk from Pakistan, which had controlled the area since the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947–1948.
Kashmir now prospers.
Gulmarg is a town, a hill station, a popular skiing destination and a notified area committee in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India.
The town is situated in the Pir Panjal Range in the Western Himalayas and lies within the boundaries of Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary.
Place : Kashmir, India, Asia.
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.
It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Disputed territory of Jammu & Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. The population of the district, according to the 1998 Census, was 725,000, and according to a 1999 projection, the population had risen to almost 741,000. The district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the capital of Azad Kashmir.
Muzaffarabad is situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The city is 138 kilometres from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and about 76 kilometres from Abbottabad. Cradled by lofty mountains, Muzaffarabad reflects a blend of various cultures and languages. The main language is a form of Hindko. The Neelum river plays a dominant role in the microclimate of Muzaffarabad.
Early history
The original name of Muzaffarabad was Udabhanda
“' Hieun tsang, the celebrated Buddhist pilgrim who is said to have visited the valley in 633A.D mentions Pan-nu-tso i.e. modern day Punch, Ho-lo-she-pu-to i.e. modern day Rajauri13 He entered India from Udabhanda, Urasa (present Muzafrabad and Uskara) entered the valley via Baramula gorge.[1]
”
Udabhanda was the capital of the Shahi dynasty . The Shahi (Devanagari शाही) also called Shahiya,[2][3] dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley (in eastern Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara (northern Pakistan and Kashmir) from the decline of the Kushan Empire in third century to the early ninth century.[3] The kingdom was known as Kabul-shahan or Ratbel-shahan from (565 - 670 CE) when they had their capitals in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura (also known as Hund)[4] for its new capital. The term Shahi is the title of the rulers, likely related to the Kushan form Shao[3] or Persian form Shah and refers to a series of 60 rulers probably descended from the Kushans or Turks (Turshkas).[3] They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk-Shahis and the later Hindu-Shahis with the change-over occurring sometime around 870.
Modern history
The name "Muzaffarabad" (meaning Muzaffar's Town) comes from the name of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (popular muslim ruler of khandan-e-Bomba ) After the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On October 8, 2005, the city was struck by an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale.
The city was the site of the epicentre of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which occurred on October 8, 2005 and had a magnitude of 7.6. The disaster destroyed 50% of the buildings in the city (including most of the official buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, alone.
As of 8 November, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350. Some estimates put the death toll over 100,000.[5]
Muzaffarabad Fort
There are two historical forts on opposite sides of the Neelum River.
•Red Fort
•Black Fort
The construction of the Red Fort was finally completed in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffarabad city. After the Mughals took over Kashmir, the fort lost its importance. The Mughals were more interested in Kabul, Bukhara, and Badakshan. During the period of Durrani rule, however, the fort again once again assumed its importance.
Maharaja Gulab Singh and Rambir Singh, the Dogra rulers, reconstructed and extended the fort for their political and military operations. Towards the middle of 1947, the Dogra forces left, leaving the fort abandoned.
The architecture of the fort shows that great experts in design and structure participated in its construction. It is surrounded on three sides by theNeelum River formally known as the Kishenganga River. The northern part of the fort had terraces with steps leading to the bank of the river. The eastern side was very well protected from the hazards of flood waters, but some parts on the north side have suffered damage. There used to be an inn at the entrance to the fort, but only traces of that structure remain now.
Other
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court
•Mosque Assembly Secretariat
•Kh. Khurshid Tomb
•Chehla Bridge
•Subri (Langarpura) Lake
The district is administratively subdivided into three tehsils, these are:[citation needed]
•Athmukam
•Hattian Bala Land of Hazarat Hafiz Jamal u Din."a great saint of his time"
BaniHafiz a Popular village of Hattian Bala. It includ the Mizar of HAfiz Jamal u Din. SAjada nasheen Muhammad Ajmal Irfan Danish.Atrue follower of Jamalu Din
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It was late July when we visited Gulmarg, and got a rare chance to see Gulmarg without the snow. The lush green meadows are covered with flowers and a variety of butterflies fluttering around them.
Read full stories on :
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. The population of the district, according to the 1998 Census, was 725,000, and according to a 1999 projection, the population had risen to almost 741,000. The district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the capital of Azad Kashmir.
Muzaffarabad is situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The city is 138 kilometres from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and about 76 kilometres from Abbottabad. Cradled by lofty mountains, Muzaffarabad reflects a blend of various cultures and languages. The main language is a form of Hindko. The Neelum river plays a dominant role in the microclimate of Muzaffarabad.
Early history
The original name of Muzaffarabad was Udabhanda
“' Hieun tsang, the celebrated Buddhist pilgrim who is said to have visited the valley in 633A.D mentions Pan-nu-tso i.e. modern day Punch, Ho-lo-she-pu-to i.e. modern day Rajauri13 He entered India from Udabhanda, Urasa (present Muzafrabad and Uskara) entered the valley via Baramula gorge.[1]
”
Udabhanda was the capital of the Shahi dynasty . The Shahi (Devanagari शाही) also called Shahiya,[2][3] dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley (in eastern Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara (northern Pakistan and Kashmir) from the decline of the Kushan Empire in third century to the early ninth century.[3] The kingdom was known as Kabul-shahan or Ratbel-shahan from (565 - 670 CE) when they had their capitals in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura (also known as Hund)[4] for its new capital. The term Shahi is the title of the rulers, likely related to the Kushan form Shao[3] or Persian form Shah and refers to a series of 60 rulers probably descended from the Kushans or Turks (Turshkas).[3] They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk-Shahis and the later Hindu-Shahis with the change-over occurring sometime around 870.
Modern history
The name "Muzaffarabad" (meaning Muzaffar's Town) comes from the name of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (popular muslim ruler of khandan-e-Bomba ) After the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On October 8, 2005, the city was struck by an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale.
The city was the site of the epicentre of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which occurred on October 8, 2005 and had a magnitude of 7.6. The disaster destroyed 50% of the buildings in the city (including most of the official buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, alone.
As of 8 November, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350. Some estimates put the death toll over 100,000.[5]
Muzaffarabad Fort
There are two historical forts on opposite sides of the Neelum River.
•Red Fort
•Black Fort
The construction of the Red Fort was finally completed in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffarabad city. After the Mughals took over Kashmir, the fort lost its importance. The Mughals were more interested in Kabul, Bukhara, and Badakshan. During the period of Durrani rule, however, the fort again once again assumed its importance.
Maharaja Gulab Singh and Rambir Singh, the Dogra rulers, reconstructed and extended the fort for their political and military operations. Towards the middle of 1947, the Dogra forces left, leaving the fort abandoned.
The architecture of the fort shows that great experts in design and structure participated in its construction. It is surrounded on three sides by theNeelum River formally known as the Kishenganga River. The northern part of the fort had terraces with steps leading to the bank of the river. The eastern side was very well protected from the hazards of flood waters, but some parts on the north side have suffered damage. There used to be an inn at the entrance to the fort, but only traces of that structure remain now.
Other
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court
•Mosque Assembly Secretariat
•Kh. Khurshid Tomb
•Chehla Bridge
•Subri (Langarpura) Lake
The district is administratively subdivided into three tehsils, these are:[citation needed]
•Athmukam
•Hattian Bala Land of Hazarat Hafiz Jamal u Din."a great saint of his time"
BaniHafiz a Popular village of Hattian Bala. It includ the Mizar of HAfiz Jamal u Din. SAjada nasheen Muhammad Ajmal Irfan Danish.Atrue follower of Jamalu Din
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Azad Kashmir. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by North-West Frontier Province in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of on the Indian side of the Line of Control in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. The population of the district, according to the 1998 Census, was 725,000, and according to a 1999 projection, the population had risen to almost 741,000. The district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the capital of Azad Kashmir.
Muzaffarabad is situated at the confluence of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The city is 138 kilometres from Rawalpindi and Islamabad and about 76 kilometres from Abbottabad. Cradled by lofty mountains, Muzaffarabad reflects a blend of various cultures and languages. The main language is a form of Hindko. The Neelum river plays a dominant role in the microclimate of Muzaffarabad.
Early history
The original name of Muzaffarabad was Udabhanda
“' Hieun tsang, the celebrated Buddhist pilgrim who is said to have visited the valley in 633A.D mentions Pan-nu-tso i.e. modern day Punch, Ho-lo-she-pu-to i.e. modern day Rajauri13 He entered India from Udabhanda, Urasa (present Muzafrabad and Uskara) entered the valley via Baramula gorge.[1]
”
Udabhanda was the capital of the Shahi dynasty . The Shahi (Devanagari शाही) also called Shahiya,[2][3] dynasties ruled portions of the Kabul Valley (in eastern Afghanistan) and the old province of Gandhara (northern Pakistan and Kashmir) from the decline of the Kushan Empire in third century to the early ninth century.[3] The kingdom was known as Kabul-shahan or Ratbel-shahan from (565 - 670 CE) when they had their capitals in Kapisa and Kabul, and later Udabhandapura (also known as Hund)[4] for its new capital. The term Shahi is the title of the rulers, likely related to the Kushan form Shao[3] or Persian form Shah and refers to a series of 60 rulers probably descended from the Kushans or Turks (Turshkas).[3] They are split into two eras the Buddhist Turk-Shahis and the later Hindu-Shahis with the change-over occurring sometime around 870.
Modern history
The name "Muzaffarabad" (meaning Muzaffar's Town) comes from the name of Sultan Raja Muzaffar Khan (popular muslim ruler of khandan-e-Bomba ) After the 1948-49 war, Muzaffarabad was made the capital of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
On October 8, 2005, the city was struck by an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter Scale.
The city was the site of the epicentre of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which occurred on October 8, 2005 and had a magnitude of 7.6. The disaster destroyed 50% of the buildings in the city (including most of the official buildings) and is estimated to have killed up to 80,000 people in the Pakistani-controlled areas of Kashmir, alone.
As of 8 November, the Pakistani government's official death toll was 87,350. Some estimates put the death toll over 100,000.[5]
Muzaffarabad Fort
There are two historical forts on opposite sides of the Neelum River.
•Red Fort
•Black Fort
The construction of the Red Fort was finally completed in 1646 by Sultan Muzaffar Khan, the founder of Muzaffarabad city. After the Mughals took over Kashmir, the fort lost its importance. The Mughals were more interested in Kabul, Bukhara, and Badakshan. During the period of Durrani rule, however, the fort again once again assumed its importance.
Maharaja Gulab Singh and Rambir Singh, the Dogra rulers, reconstructed and extended the fort for their political and military operations. Towards the middle of 1947, the Dogra forces left, leaving the fort abandoned.
The architecture of the fort shows that great experts in design and structure participated in its construction. It is surrounded on three sides by theNeelum River formally known as the Kishenganga River. The northern part of the fort had terraces with steps leading to the bank of the river. The eastern side was very well protected from the hazards of flood waters, but some parts on the north side have suffered damage. There used to be an inn at the entrance to the fort, but only traces of that structure remain now.
Other
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly
•Azad Jammu and Kashmir Supreme Court
•Mosque Assembly Secretariat
•Kh. Khurshid Tomb
•Chehla Bridge
•Subri (Langarpura) Lake
The district is administratively subdivided into three tehsils, these are:[citation needed]
•Athmukam
•Hattian Bala Land of Hazarat Hafiz Jamal u Din."a great saint of his time"
BaniHafiz a Popular village of Hattian Bala. It includ the Mizar of HAfiz Jamal u Din. SAjada nasheen Muhammad Ajmal Irfan Danish.Atrue follower of Jamalu Din
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Muzaffarabad (Urdu: مُظفَّرآباد), is the capital of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-held Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north. The district comprises three tehsils, and the city of Muzaffarabad serves as the cultural, legislative and financial capital of Azad Kashmir.
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE © PKG PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROTECTED UNDER THE INDIAN COPYRIGHT ACT. USING MY PHOTOS IN ANYWAY, INCLUDING DOWNLOADING, AND OR USE IN BLOGS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS A VIOLATION OF INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE © PKG PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROTECTED UNDER THE INDIAN COPYRIGHT ACT. USING MY PHOTOS IN ANYWAY, INCLUDING DOWNLOADING, AND OR USE IN BLOGS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS A VIOLATION OF INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir girl (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Semi-nomadic Mir tribal girl in the neighbourhood of Dasada (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
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ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE © PKG PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROTECTED UNDER THE INDIAN COPYRIGHT ACT. USING MY PHOTOS IN ANYWAY, INCLUDING DOWNLOADING, AND OR USE IN BLOGS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS A VIOLATION OF INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
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The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------
ALL THE PHOTOGRAPHS ARE © PKG PHOTOGRAPHY AND PROTECTED UNDER THE INDIAN COPYRIGHT ACT. USING MY PHOTOS IN ANYWAY, INCLUDING DOWNLOADING, AND OR USE IN BLOGS WITHOUT PRIOR WRITTEN AUTHORIZATION IS A VIOLATION OF INDIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED!
---------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------
The history of Pakistan and India seems like a fairy tale. Parting as friends in August 1947, they passed into downright enmity very soon thereafter. In 1948 the tribal lashkars sent to get Kashmir could not get to Srinagar because they stopped to plunder a cathedral near Baramulla. In 1965, the Indian General boasted he would have whiskey in Lahore Gymkhana that evening. He had to settle for rotten beer in Delhi because his troops stopped for breakfast and couldn’t take Lahore. Here was Pakistan fighting with an adversary ten times its size – it is still six times despite Bangladesh breaking away - with virtually no really superior technology on their side. As a country with sworn enmity towards the communists – despite good relations with China - and a formidable neighbor to contend with, Pakistan needed some major resource to fall back upon when its sovereignty was threatened.
In end-1971 we lost half our country and 56% of our population. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who clandestinely held the portfolio of atomic energy in Ayub Khan’s cabinet but could not get the necessary resources to match his ambitions, was now heading the country with absolute powers as of 20 December 1971. He immediately convened a meeting of the top scientists of the country exactly a month later in Multan and made it clear he wanted a nuclear bomb at all costs. He was convinced that as long as Dr I. H. Usmani, an Indian Civil Service officer of the 1942 batch, remained as Chairman Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission nothing tangible would come about, he tucked him away as a Secretary of a ministry and retired him under Section 13 (1) of the Civil Servants Act in August 1973 along with a host of his peer ICS officers as these retirements were considered ‘in the public interest’ by the Competent Authority (read Bhutto). As the public interest was never adequately defined, the section was struck down by two superior courts during the early 1980s, although Gen. Zia also made use of this clause.
Anyway, to revert to the original discussion, Munir Ahmed Khan was appointed to the post of Chairman PAEC on the same day of the Multan meeting on 20 January 1972. He was the first non-PhD to hold the post and his credentials at the IAEA were not so impressive, yet he got the job and Bhutto found out much later that he was duping him. His main technical support was derived from his scientific adviser Prof. A. Salam, however, when the latter’s sect was declared non-Muslim in 1974, he lost interest and preferred to settle abroad and went on to secure the Nobel Prize in 1979. It is said that it is extremely hard, almost impossible, for a Muslim to get the prize so unwittingly Bhutto may have done his old friend a favor. However, neither Bhutto nor Salam could have imagined what lay in store for them in 1974. While Bhutto would be hanged after a 2-year long farcical trial five years later in 1979, Salam’s tombstone would be desecrated. The first lost his life due to his nuclear ambitions, the second suffered in life and out of it due to his faith. Nevertheless, even from his death cell Bhutto never uttered a word about Kahuta, lamenting that by abandoning the French plant, the people of Pakistan had been ‘left defenseless under the threatening cloud of a nuclear sky’.
Munir Ahmed Khan continued to convince Bhutto he was developing a nuclear bomb. Both Salam and Munir had suggested Pakistan acquiring a French nuclear reprocessing plant, however, it would not have got the country anywhere close to having a bomb even in 20 years, and Bhutto may have known this but kept it as a smokescreen. To complicate things further, Bhutto had supported Syria and Egypt militarily during the 1973 War and talking in terms of an integrated defense of the Islamic World and asking why the Muslim civilization should be deprived of the nuclear capability when all other religions possessed it. Ironically when Kissinger was harsh with Bhutto in 1976, he apparently knew nothing about Kahuta and was concerned only with the French deal and threatened the latter of being made ‘a horrible example’ after the Democrats came to power. His prediction was on the mark. Governor Carter had had a sharp verbal duel with Ambassador Iqbal Akhund and would make sure Bhutto was eliminated after he came to power. For the sake of the record though, he sent not one, but two clemency appeals to Ziaul Haq to spare Bhutto’s life. However, both Carter and Zia knew what the logical outcome of the thwarted judicial process was leading to.
Going back in time, regardless of how history passes judgment on Bhutto he was intensely patriotic, and he took India’s nuclear blast of 18 May 1974 as a personal affront. He had returned from Simla as a proud leader of a proud nation and conducted the negotiations on an equal footing despite the traumatic events of end-1971. Now as the prisoners of war were returning, he could not digest this show of might from Nehru’s daughter.
Now it is quite well known, how an equally patriotic scientist/ metallurgist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan wrote to Bhutto about his capabilities in the aftermath of the blast. Bhutto had him checked out and placed him in the PAEC two rungs below Munir Ahmed Khan. While Bhutto thought everything was hunky-dory, actually it was not. AQK was in fact getting frustrated by his dubious bosses who kept telling ZAB they were making a nuclear bomb but were actually doing nothing concrete in that direction. However, things were coming to a head as on 25th July 1976 Dr. Khan in a 2-page letter to the Prime Minister that I posted the other day informing him that he was constrained to leave the country and gave an exact description of the situation prevailing at that time.
On reading the letter Bhutto was devastated, and immediately summoned Dr Khan to Lahore. When he reached there, ZAB was closeted with Foreign Secretary Agha Shahi and his military secretary Brig (later Major General) Imtiaz. He told the good doctor not to worry as he would fix everything in a few days.
Maulana Kausar Niazi notes in his memoirs “Last Day of Premier Bhutto”: The same evening he summoned me to the P.M.’s House. Explaining the entire situation he said, “Maulana, I don’t want to miss such a golden chance. This man (Dr. Qadeer) is far too valuable; find some way out.” I suggested that he take the Secretary General Finance, A.G.N. Kazi, Foreign Secretary, Agha Shahi, Aziz Ahmed and Ghulam Ishaq Khan into confidence and introduce Dr. Qadeer to them. And so this was done. Mr. Bhutto was extremely annoyed for he felt that he had been made to cut a sorry figure before the entire nation.
According to Dr Khan himself, the very next day he was asked to meet the Foreign Secretary Agha Shahi in his office. When he arrived there, AGN Kazi, Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Agha Shahi were all there. After introductions, Mr. Kazi asked him whether he would like to head the PAEC, to which Dr Khan replied in the negative. He felt the PAEC was too much in the public eye and foreign powers would soon come to know of his project. He wanted a standalone project and full powers on how to run the same. All the three gentlemen concurred with him. He also requested the services of an army officer to help with the civil works as he wanted a state-of-the-art facility and not something built by PWD.
The very next day all those present that day at Shahi’s office met with the Prime Minister, where the Chief of Army Staff Gen. Ziaul Haq was also called to participate. Bhutto’s orders were quite clear: Give him whatever he asks for! Dr. Khan requested for the services of an army officer. While emerging out of the meeting Gen. Zia asked Dr Khan which rank of officer would he need. He asked for a brigadier. The next morning Brig (later Lt. Gen.) Zahid Ali Akbar Khan reported to him for duty but told him he knew nothing about what he was supposed to do. When Dr. Khan told him he was overjoyed and said that was an assignment after his heart.
Writing an obituary in The News with the caption ‘The indomitable AGN Kazi’ in October 2016, Dr Khan recalled: The next day we had a meeting in Bhutto Sahib’s office. He formed a coordination board with A G N Kazi as chairman and Ghulam Ishaq Khan and Agha Shahi as members. The board was given the powers of a PM. Gen Zia was also there as COAS and he agreed to give me a team of civil engineers. This team was headed by a brigadier, a dashing, handsome go-getter. They never let me down. Next the problem of determining the powers I needed to rush through the programme was tackled by the brigadier and me. I made four copies of the suggestions and presented it to the board at Kazi Sahib’s office. After glancing at the very first page, G I Khan remarked that I was asking for powers only the PM had. At that Kazi Sahib said: “Ishaq, if you want another PWD, discuss it, otherwise give the powers Dr Khan is asking for. We are there to oversee everything.” With that the matter was closed. It was this approval that enabled our programme to succeed. Kazi Sahib was a thorough gentleman – soft spoken and very competent. He could instantly grasp the gist of a problem. I was allowed to see him without any prior appointment. I was ably supported by Agha Shahi, who asked his DG Administration – a very competent officer – to issue me a diplomatic passport and to take care of our foreign travel.
After the military takeover in July 1977, Gen. Ziaul Haq gave personal supervision to the project. Mr. Kazi who remained Advisor and Secretary General Finance offered Ghulam Ishaq Khan now Secretary General in Chief and Advisor Coordination to chair the board, who asked him to continue on. However, Mr. Kazi urged him to be chair as was commensurate with his status and he finally agreed. It goes to the credit of both successive presidents General Zia and Ghulam Ishaq Khan who sustained the project under great stress and enormous pressure. Although the General was aided by the attention been drawn away to the Afghan war, Ishaq Khan who was President from 1988-1993, with Prime Ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, was under greater pressure to roll back the project.
However, during Zia’s tenure by 1984 it was whispered that we had the nuclear capability, and this position was later confirmed by Dr A Q Khan. He had finally rid the nation of most of its insecurities relating to ties with its adversaries. It is also clear now that during his ‘cricket diplomacy’ in India, this message was conveyed by Gen Zia to Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi bringing about a swift change in the latter’s demeanor towards the former. Pakistan’s worst apprehensions had been set at rest! The real demonstration of our might came much later in 1998, leaving no further room for doubt.
All of us know that Dr. Khan had to go through substantial embarrassment and hardships during the last 16-17 years of his life. I have neither the knowledge nor the inclination to comment on that phase of his life following 2004, when a prime minister remarked he had saved the country by his 'confession'. Ever since Dr. A Q Khan embarked on the project he knew the perils to which he was subjecting himself and must have been grateful he didn’t suffer the fate of either Mr. Bhutto or Gen. Zia. Suffice it to say that he received a state funeral with the state missing. The grieved people came out in thousands braving the torrential rains to bid him adieu.
Everything said and done, we salute you Sir and pray that the Creator may exalt your status in the Hereafter!
Attached are pictures of the main architects of the original program from Dr A Q Khan’s personal archives.
Copyright: Dr Ghulam Nabi Kazi
© 2012 PKG Photography, all rights reserved
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
Top photo taken in the early 1900s and bottom photo taken in 2010.
My mother remembered driving from Srinagar (where she lived) to Gulmarg in the 1920s and the last bit of the journey was done on ponies.
Gulmarg (Gauri Marg) is a popular skiing destination in the Baramulla district of the Indian administered union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The town is situated in the Pir Panjal Range in the western Himalayas.
Originally called Gauri Marg meaning (the path of Devi Gauri) it was renamed to Gulmarg ("meadow of flowers") by Sultan Yusuf Shah of the Chak Dynasty who frequented the place with his queen Habba khatoon in the 16th century. Wild flowers of 21 different varieties were collected by the Mughal emperor Jahangir for his gardens in Gulmarg. In the 19th century, British civil servants started using Gulmarg as a retreat to escape summers in North Indian plains. Hunting and golfing were their favorite pastime and three golf courses were established in Gulmarg including one exclusively for women. One of the golf courses survives and at an altitude of 2,650 metres (8,690 ft) is the world's highest golf course. In 1927, the British established a ski club in Gulmarg and two annual ski events were hosted one each during Christmas and Easter.
Ethnic jewellery.
Semi-nomadic Mir tribal girl in the neighbourhood of Dasada (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir (Urdu: مير) Hindi: मिर) is a tribe which has descended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India.
The family name Mir can also be found in Spain, due to the Romani people's migration from North India toward Europe.
Mir are actually a clan of Bhatt along with Khawaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a clan somewhere around 1850. The Mir clan originates from the Kashmir Valley. Its origin is from the Butt tribe. Its fellow tribesmen are the Butt, Dar, Lone, Khawaja and Malik clans.
The mosaic of ethnic groups in Kashmir is complex and the race structure cannot be explained without understanding the pre-historic movements of people. The racial composition of the province was also influenced by waves of immigrants from the Central Asia and Middle East.
Jewellery of a Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Semi-nomadic Mir tribal girl in the neighbourhood of Dasada (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir (Urdu: مير) Hindi: मिर) is a tribe which has descended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India.
The family name Mir can also be found in Spain, due to the Romani people's migration from North India toward Europe.
Mir are actually a clan of Bhatt along with Khawaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a clan somewhere around 1850. The Mir clan originates from the Kashmir Valley. Its origin is from the Butt tribe. Its fellow tribesmen are the Butt, Dar, Lone, Khawaja and Malik clans.
The mosaic of ethnic groups in Kashmir is complex and the race structure cannot be explained without understanding the pre-historic movements of people. The racial composition of the province was also influenced by waves of immigrants from the Central Asia and Middle East.
Muzaffarabad is the capital and largest city of the Pakistani-administered territory of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and is the gateway of Neelum Valley.
The city is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers. The district is bounded by Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa in the west, by the Kupwara and Baramulla districts of Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir in the east, and the Neelum District of Azad Kashmir in the north.
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
© 2012 PKG Photography, all rights reserved
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.
Semi-nomadic Mir tribal girl in the neighbourhood of Dasada (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Dancing Mir women (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Jewellery of a Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Mir (Urdu: مير) Hindi: मिर) is a tribe which has descended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India.
The family name Mir can also be found in Spain, due to the Romani people's migration from North India toward Europe.
Mir are actually a clan of Bhatt along with Khawaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a clan somewhere around 1850. The Mir clan originates from the Kashmir Valley. Its origin is from the Butt tribe. Its fellow tribesmen are the Butt, Dar, Lone, Khawaja and Malik clans.
The mosaic of ethnic groups in Kashmir is complex and the race structure cannot be explained without understanding the pre-historic movements of people. The racial composition of the province was also influenced by waves of immigrants from the Central Asia and Middle East.
Nosering and tattoos of a Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Semi-nomadic Mir tribal girl in the neighbourhood of Dasada (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
Gulmarg – A hill resort with magical meadows and mountains. The word "Gulmarg" literally means "the meadow of flowers". The snow-clad peaks and the lovely landscapes of Gulmarg make the most favourite background spot for several Bollywood ventures.
The slopes in Gulmarg varying between 8,700 and 10,500 feet make the ski runs the highest in the region. It is noteworthy that Gulmarg is the only heli-skiing resort in Asia. Even the amateurs can enjoy with the ski lifts and the chair lifts. Gulmarg also boasts of a gorgeous green golf course that happens to be the world's highest too.
Located in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, and at an amazing altitude of 2,730 meters above sea level, Gulmarg is 57 km southwest from the capital city of Srinagar and is close to the Line of Control.
The gorgeous hill resort of Gulmarg is dotted with sites of interest for the tourists. Khilanmarg is the spot for skiing in winters. One can enjoy the views of the Kashmir valley and the Himalayan range from Khilanmarg. Then there is the Alpather Lake, a picturesque alpine lake that remains frozen until late June. From Khilanmarg the lake lies across the Apharwat peak
Gulmarge is also known for the famous shrine of Baba Reshi – a Muslim mystic saint
This picture is from one of my old collections (A Scanned Image, of course).
Jewellery of a Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
According to reports there has been a ceasefire violation in Gurdaspur in Punjab. This is after the Sunday terrorist attacks on a BSF camp in Baramulla in north Kashmir. Reports suggest a BSF personnel has been killed in the attack...the army says after about two hours of intense gun battle. the situation has been contained and under control. Sources are telling WION that 7 Fidayeen terrorists launched the attack, a search and cordon operation is underway. Sources are also saying that the attackers managed to enter the fringes of BSF camp and are suspected to have entered India across the river Jhelum River. India’s home minister Rajnath Singh met NSA chief Ajit Doval to discuss the situation in Kashmir. However, Sarta Aziz has said that both Pakistan and India NSA have agreed to reduce tensions at the loc. This attack comes just two weeks after Uri attack which also lies in Baramulla district, 19 soldiers were killed. Explore our content @ www.wionews.com Stories you can share @ ift.tt/2bUx8mU News as it happens @ www.twitter.com/WIONews The world in pictures @ ift.tt/2cFloLi
Mir woman (Gujarat).
Mir is a tribe/caste which has decended from the Butt tribe in Kashmir Valley of Baramulla. It is also in Sindh Gilgit and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and India. Mir are actually of Butt lineage along with Khwaja. Mir are also known as Butt today because they are actually descended directly from the Butt bloodlines. Mir became a subcaste somewhere around 1850 and is actually a name of a person and NOT a tribe.
© 2012 PKG Photography, all rights reserved
The Kashmir Railway is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent by government of India. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The alignment for the line presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the Qingzang Railway in Tibet, China which was completed in 2006 and crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000 metres (16,000 ft) above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as Tibet, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, what makes the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills and the mighty Pir Panjal range, with most peaks exceeding 15,000 feet (4,600 m) in height.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts and tunnels – the railway is expected to cross a total of over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 kilometres (62 mi) of tunnels, the longest of which is about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) in length.[1] The greatest engineering challenges involve the crossing of the Chenab river, which involves building a 1,315-metre-long (4,314 ft) bridge 359 metres (1,178 ft) above the river bed, and the crossing of the Anji Khad, which involves building a 657-metre-long (2,156 ft) bridge 186 metres (610 ft) above the river bed. The Chenab Bridge will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world, 35 m higher than the tip of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Both bridges are to be simple span bridges. Cor-Ten Steel is planned to be used to provide an environment friendly appearance and eliminate the need to paint the bridge. The design and structure is very similar to the New River Gorge Bridge. The project is being managed by the Konkan Railway Corporation. Completion is scheduled for 2012, four years after the first isolated section of the route was opened for local passenger services, and it requires the use of 26,000 t of steel.
All tunnels including the New Banihal Tunnel will be constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling method. Numerous challenges have been encountered while tunneling through the geologically young and unstable Shivalik mountains. In particular water ingress problems have been seen in the Udhampur to Katra section. This has required some drastic solutions using steel arches and several feet of shotcrete.
Even though the line is being built through a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. More importantly bankers will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will be built to the Indian standard broadgauge of 1,676 millimetres (5.499 ft) gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. Maximum line speed will be 100 kilometres per hour (62 mph). Provision for future doubling will be made on the major bridges. Additionally provisions for future electrification will be made, though the line will be operated with diesel locomotives initially, as Kashmir is an electricity scarce region at present. There will be 30 stations on the full route, served by 10–12 trains per day initially.
The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 55 km access route has been built to Udhampur.
THE Comfort
Passenger services will be provided by the new aerodynamic High Power diesel multiple units, which have certain special features incorporated into them. The air-conditioned coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view, anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, heating facilities, an attractive colour scheme and executive class reclining seats inside. The driver's cabin has a heating and defogging unit to take care of cold climatic conditions and is fitted with single lookout glass windows to give a wider view. A snow-cutting type cattle guard has been attached at the driving end of the train for clearing snow from the tracks during winter. In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine for the train has been provided with a heating system for a quick and trouble-free start in the winters. A public information system with display and announcement facilities are included in the coaches which have pneumatic suspension for better riding comfort. There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors.
Freight rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the 10–12 passengers services that are planned to operate daily.
Maintenance of all rolling stock and locomotives will be at the newly built Budgam workshop just north of Srinagar.
Project Updates
Dec 2010 — Railways complete construction of crucial tunnel in Sangaldam between the Katra-Qazigund.
Feb 2011 — It was reported by an Indian news channel that there was a consensus among the top railway officials of the country that the present rail alignment of the project was not ideal.
Oct 2011 — Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, the 10.96 Km long railway tunnel, passes through the Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a part of its Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla rail link project, opened in October 2011, India's longest and Asia's second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal to only 11 km .
Jan 2012 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has said that Qazigund-Banihal and Udhampur-Katra railway tracks, connecting Kashmir with rest of the country through rail-line are likely to be completed by December.