The Indian Railway added another feather in its cap with the historic milestone of connecting Kashmir Valley with the Jammu region. The Prime Minister dedicated

the newly constructed railway line between Banihal (Jammu region) – Qazigund  (Kashmir valley) section and flagged off the first DEMU train from Banihal through

 the Pir Panjal tunnel- the longest transportation tunnel of India, from Banihal Railway station on 26th June 2013. On commissioning of this section, the first rail link has been established between the Jammu Region and Kashmir Valley providing all weather connectivity with significantly reduced travel time through the Pir Panjal mountains.

 This is an alternative connection between the two regions for the Jawahar Tunnel too,which is often snow bound during the winter months. With this section the distance between Banihal-Qazigund section has been reduced to 17.7 kms by railway line instead of 35 kms long road length. With the completion of this section the Kashmir Valley has come a step closer to being connected to the remaining Indian Railway network, signifying the dedication and resolution of Northern Railway in providing rail connectivity to the farthest corners under its jurisdiction.