“This is going to be the local train network for the valley and can be helpful for daily passengers like office goers, students and even tourists,’’ Anand said.

But this is just the first link in the connectivity chain. Goods and passengers from outside the valley can be ferried only after the entire 340-km railway line joins the Kashmir valley to the Indian Railways Network — a Rs 10,000-crore project.

Out of this, Ircon has been working on the 167-km line — 120 from Qazigund to Baramulla and 47 from Loale to Qazigund. While the stretch from Qazigund to Baramulla passes through fairly level terrain, the construction of the Loale-Qazigund section is the most challenging as it passes through thick forests, deep gorges and several numerous rivers. “We will construct 350 km of roads to reach these places,’’ said Anand.

Add to this the series of tunnels, viaducts and bridges, the longest tunnel is 11 km. A team of Austrian tunneling experts is working on the project. “We are hopeful that by the end of 2008, Kashmir should be connected to rest of the world,’’ said Anand.