India has taken another stride toward enhanced national integration with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the Jammu Railway Division and laying the foundation stone for the Rayagada Railway Division on January 6, 2025, via video conferencing Press Information BureauThe Indian Express.
Jammu Railway Division
- The 70th division of Indian Railways, headquartered in Jammu, was carved out of the Firozpur Division and spans approximately 742 km, covering critical routes including Pathankot–Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla, among others WikipediaPress Information Bureau.
- The move aims to streamline operations, improve management, and bolster connectivity across Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Punjab Press Information Bureauviewstoday.in.
- It includes over 36 railway stations, such as Jammu Tawi, Katra, and Udhampur, with hi-tech infrastructure to enhance passenger services and freight movement The New Indian ExpressFinancial Express.
Rayagada Railway Division
- Simultaneously, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Rayagada Division of the East Coast Railway, aimed at improving rail access in mineral-rich, tribal regions of Odisha Press Information Bureau.
- This strategic development is envisioned to promote socio‑economic upliftment through better connectivity, logistics, and regional development.
Significance & Impact
- These steps are part of a broader initiative to enhance national connectivity, drive economic growth, generate employment, and integrate remote regions more effectively The New Indian ExpressPM India.
- For Jammu & Kashmir especially, the launching of its own division coincides with landmark rail infrastructure, such as the Chenab Rail Bridge—an engineering marvel that underscores the government’s push for transformative infrastructure in the region WikipediaAl Jazeera.
