After nearly 78 years of independence, the Kashmir valley is set to receive its first train service, which will link it to Jammu. The much-awaited rail link is likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 19th April, after which he will visit the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge. The train, expected to be a special Vande Bharat Express, will be flagged off from Katra railway station. Along with the Prime Minister, the event will also be attended by the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
The train, initially, is likely to operate between Katra and Srinagar/Baramulla. Later on, from August onwards, after the completion of the construction work at Jammu Railway Station, the train is expected to run from Jammu to Srinagar/Baramulla. The train completed its trial run between Katra and Srinagar station in January this year.
This will mark the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). Currently, a Vande Bharat Express runs between Sangaldan and Baramulla, but after the completion of the USBRL project, a rail link will connect Katra to the Kashmir valley, significantly reducing the travel time and improving connectivity.
The rail line will provide year-round connectivity, boosting tourism, industry and education in the region. The train is designed with advanced anti-frosting technology, which makes is fit for operating in extreme cold weather conditions. The train coaches, designed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, can withstand temperatures up to -20 degrees Celsius.
The multi-crore USBRL rail project completed
The USBRL is a multi-crore project worth ₹41,000 crore. The project spans around 272 km, out of which a 209 km stretch is already operational. It began in 2005-06 and is being completed in a phased manner. In October 2009, a 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla stretch of the project in Kashmir was inaugurated. This was followed by the completion of an 18-km stretch in Banihal-Qazigund and a 25-km stretch between Udhampur-Katra in 2013-14. The last phase of the project, covering 48.1 km between the Banihal-Sangaldan section, became operational in February 2023. Another 46 km section between Sangaldan and Reasi was completed in June 2023. The remaining 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra was completed recently.
The Chenab Railway Bridge
Last year, the Indian Railways carried out successful trial runs on the Chenab Railway Bridge. The railway bridge surpasses the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, in terms of height. The railway bridge stands at a height of 359 m above the Chenab valley, while the Eiffel Tower has an altitude of 330 m. The 1315 metre long bridge has been constructed by incurring a cost of ₹1486 crore. Before starting the construction of the bridge, the Railways first built a 26-km-long road and a 400-metre tunnel. Afte being flagged off in 2003, the project was halted in 2008 due to safety reasons. It was resumed in 2010. The construction of the bridge started in 2017 and was completed in 2023.
Modi government is working on rail connectivity
The Modi government has been working to establish rail connectivity in the far-flung areas of the country including the northeastern states, Ladakh and Kashmir valley. In the northeast, the central government is working on a railway connectivity project wth the aim of connecting the capital cities of all the northeastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura to the main railway lines.
For improving connectivity in the Ladakh region, the Modi government has announced the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail project. The 498-km rail project is estimated to cost around ₹1,31,000 crore. Once completed, the rail line will provide all-weather connectivity in the region facilitating civilian as well as military movement.
