Srinagar | National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the railway ministry on Tuesday for launching new rail projects for Jammu and Kashmir.

"This is a big step by the railway ministry and Prime Minister Modi and we welcome this initiative. (We) congratulate them on achieving this milestone," Abdullah, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, said about the flagging off of new trains between Sangaldan in the Jammu division and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley.

He said the rail link will connect Kashmir with the rest of the country as highway closures used to be a big challenge for Kashmiris.

"Also, the stocks that would go from here used to get stuck on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

"The electric train will be fruitful for us as it will boost our businesses. Though we were expecting it to be completed by 2007, our region is tough and they had to construct tunnels," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister added.

Modi, who is on a visit to Jammu, dedicated various rail projects in Jammu and Kashmir to the country on Tuesday, including a new rail line between Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan (48 km) and the newly-electrified Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal-Sangaldan section (185.66 km).

The prime minister also flagged off the first electric train in the valley and a train service between the Sangaldan and Baramulla stations.

The commissioning of the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section is significant as it features the usage of ballastless tracks (BLT) all along the route, providing a better riding experience to the passengers, according to an official spokesperson.

The country's longest transportation tunnel, T-50 (12.77 km), also lies in this portion between Khari and Sumber.

The rail projects will improve connectivity, ensure environmental sustainability and boost the overall economic development of the region, the spokesperson said.