The new Vande Bharat train is custom-built for Himalayan winter conditions, includes heated windscreens, thermally insulated lavatories, and advanced sub-zero heating systems.
Modi will start his visit on June 6 by dedicating to public the Chenab rail bridge, which is a key part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link (USBRL) that will provide direct train connectivity to the valley.
The train will traverse through seven tunnels and over 30 small and large bridges.
Specially designed coaches for adverse weather conditions have been inducted for rail travel in Kashmir Valley.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off the inaugural train from Katra in Jammu, the base camp for Vaishno Devi shrine.
Railways proposes to complete over 550 kms of new lines in eight sections, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav announced on Friday.
The army early on Thursday foiled an infiltration bid by terrorists on the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu region.
Stressing that Himalayan states have similar sets of problems and opportunities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday proposed a "common model" for the their development.
The newly-introduced direct train to Katra, the base camp of Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir, was stuck in a tunnel for an hour on Wednesday morning due to suspected wheel slip caused by heavy rains when it was about to reach the Katra railway station.
The manifesto proposes to launch a Sagar Mala project to set up new ports and upgrading the existing ones and "stringing them together".
Railways will be transporting relief material free of charge to flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir and has taken a slew of measures including special trains and help desks for the stranded passengers.
Curfew remained in force on Saturday in violence-hit Kishtwar district, even as protests against Friday's communal clashes there rocked Jammu and adjoining districts, where normal life was disrupted due to a bandh.
Will Katra's gain be Jammu's loss? Locals in the area are worried that the development of the new railway line will affect their livelihoods, as pilgrims heading to Vaishno Devi will be able to bypass Jammu completely. This will affect tourism, the main source of income for many in the area, observes Upasana Pandey.
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