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Srinagar | October 11, 2008 5:05:06 PM IST

Bedecked in flowers, it rolled out of the Nowgam railway station near here,
looking like a dream. Many hoped the red and green train - the first ever in the
Kashmir valley - would be the harbinger of good times in this trouble-torn land.

"The train decorated with garlands of marigold looked like a dream. It seemed so
comfortable when I peeped inside. I have travelled on the Delhi Metro and found
that our train has similar facilities inside," said Nazir Ahmad, 42, who lives
in Nowgam and was present at the inaugural function Saturday.

The eight-coach diesel electric multiple unit (DEMU) train that was flagged off
by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday is a pageant of technology and hope
for many in the valley. It will connect the south and central Kashmir districts
of Anantnag and Budgam respectively.

For the small group of people who gathered at the railway station, seeing was
believing.

"I came here to see the prime minister flag off the train on its first ever run
and it has been a memorable experience for me," said Ahmad.

A group of 100 children, holding colourful buntings, was taken on the inaugural
run from Nowgam to Kakpora, the first station about 20 km away.

Surrounded by mountain peaks, the Nowgam station has all imaginable modern
facilities for its passengers and is second to none in the country.

Spacious waiting rooms with comfortable cushioned seating arrangements, attached
bathrooms, luggage trolleys, heating and cooling arrangements are just some of
the modern facilities that people will get used to in the days to come as rail
travel becomes popular here.

The train - each coach has a capacity of 90 passengers - has brought with it
many hopes.

"I wanted to be there personally since I had looked forward to a train in
Kashmir for many, many years. I saw the inaugural function on TV. It is a dream
come true," said Muhammad Shafi, a trader in Srinagar.

"The train in Kashmir is going to be a milestone for our economy though its
impact will definitely take some time to register with the local people," he
said.

Though entry was highly regulated because of the prime minister’s security,
those who managed to get into the station definitely realised they had been
witness to a historic event that would change the face of the valley’s economy
in the days to come.

Joy was writ large on the faces of many even though a shutdown had been called
by separatists and curfew-like restrictions imposed in parts of the city to
thwart protests on the occasion.

“The coaches are air-conditioned and I was told these have special heating
arrangements to combat the cold weather of the valley," said Ahmad.

The coaches have wide windows for a panoramic view while one travels on it. It
has anti-skid flooring, sliding doorways, attractive colour schemes 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,” an official of the
northern railways told IANS here.

In view of the peculiar climate of the valley, the 1,400 horse power 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, the official said.

There is also a compartment for physically challenged people with wider doors
for comfort.

The Kashmir train will start operations between the south and central Kashmir
districts here Sunday and will take 1 hour and 35 minutes to complete the 66-km
journey between Rajwansher in Budgam district and Anantnag.

Each passenger will pay Rs.15 for the one-way journey on the train.

To begin with, the Kashmir rail service will have stations at Budgam, Srinagar
(Nowgam), Pampore, Kakpora, Awantipora, Panjgam, Bijbehara besides Rajwansher
and Anantnag in the valley.

A train to Kashmir has been a promise the central government had made two
decades ago, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday not only fulfilled that
promise, but on a symbolic level also assured Kashmiris of a prosperous future.