Kashmir’s Rail Connectivity Project Nears Completion as Northern Railway Conducts Key Trial Runs
Kashmir’s much-anticipated rail connectivity is taking significant strides as Northern Railway completes essential groundwork for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
On Wednesday, a successful trial run was carried out on the 17-kilometer Katra-Reasi section, with an engine and a goods train completing the route. A senior Northern Railway official confirmed that the trial also included a run of a tower wagon on India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad, a critical part of the USBRL project. The engine ran at 30 km/h, while the goods train maintained a speed of 20 km/h. Officials stated that these trials will continue until the final inspection is completed.
The Northern Railway team also emphasized that the speed of the trains will be gradually increased, with electric engines expected to be introduced on this route in the near future.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared on X about the successful trial run of the tower wagon, highlighting its significance for the USBRL project in Jammu and Kashmir.
Officials further revealed that statutory inspections will take place from January 5 to January 6, 2025, for the opening of the Katra-Reasi section. The inspection, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla New Broad Gauge Rail Link, will begin at 20:50 on January 5 and conclude at 07:55 on January 6. A report from the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) is expected by January 8.
The USBRL project is being developed in phases, with the first phase, covering the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section, inaugurated in October 2009. Subsequent phases included the Banihal-Qazigund section (18 km) in June 2013 and the Udhampur-Katra section (25 km) in July 2014.
Earlier this year, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Banihal-Katra section, spanning approximately 40 kilometers of track and tunnels between Banihal and Sangaldan Railway Stations in Ramban district.
The USBRL project includes the construction of 38 tunnels, totaling 119 kilometers, with the longest tunnel (T-49) measuring 12.75 km. Additionally, 927 bridges have been built, spanning a total of 13 kilometers. The Chenab Bridge, an engineering marvel, stands as the world’s highest arch railway bridge at 359 meters above the riverbed, taller than the Eiffel Tower.
As the final preparations unfold, the Kashmir rail link is set to revolutionize transportation in the region.
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