The long-pending rail link between Jammu-Udhampur is targeted for completion by March, 2004, Railway Minister Nitish Kumar said on Wednesday.

Presenting the Rail Budget for 2003-04, Kumar also said the link upto Katra is likely to be completed during 2004-05.

The work on Udhampur-Katra and Quazigund-Baramulla sections is already in progress, he said, adding the stretch between Katra-Quazigund is very difficult requiring large-scale tunneling and bridging works for which detailed surveys on ground need to be carried out.

Kumar recalled that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during his visit to Srinagar had annonced that the first train will roll into the Kashmir Valley by August 15, 2007.

PTI