Kashmir Train Chugs Closer to Reality: Final Push for Rail Project Before Looming Polls

The approximate cost of the project is ₹37,012 crore and a 161km stretch has already been commissioned

Despite facing challenges in the highly seismic Himalayan region, the Northern Railways has been working overtime to complete the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The work on the project had started in 2005-06. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the train to Kashmir Valley before general elections.

The approximate cost of the project is ₹37,012 crore and 161km stretch has already been commissioned. At present, 19 passenger special train services are running on the Baramulla-Budgam-Banihal section.

“Though we can’t give an exact deadline, but the project is in final stage. The trial run on 15km Khari-Banihal stretch was recently conducted by the commissioner railways safety and we also achieved a breakthrough in 3.12km tunnel between Reasi and Katra,” said chief public relations officer Deepak Kumar.

Another senior official associated with the project said, “The Northern Railways is working overtime to complete the project.”

“Though the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is keen on the project being completed before the general elections, it may take three to four months to complete the remaining work of signalling, tracks, electrification and other allied works in the tunnel between Katra and Reasi. This tunnel posed numerous challenges to the construction companies. A lot of water gushed inside it and we had to requisition experts to overcome it,” he said.

The tracks on either side of the tunnel have already been laid. However, signalling system, tracks and electrification of the track besides other allied works are yet to be done. A two-platform railway station has also come at Bakkal, at one of the two ends of the highest arc rail bridge in the world over Chenab River in Reasi.

“We are done with 15km rail track between Banihal and Khari and it is now being extended to Sangaldan (another 15 kms) in Ramban. We hope to do it within a month before throwing it open for the local train service,” said the official.

On Anji Bridge, India’s first cable stayed rail bridge, the official said that it stands completed and the works of laying track and erecting electricity poles were on.

“Similarly, the highest rail bridge over Chenab also stands completed. In nutshell, 95% of the project has been completed and work is in full swing on the remaining 5%,” said the official.

“We also want to complete the project before general elections but in the highly seismic and eco-fragile Himalayan region, unforeseen challenges crop up frequently,” said the official.

The official also informed that Centre has been mulling a railways division in Udhampur and a survey has also been initiated to extend the rail track up to Pahalgam.

In March last year, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that the USBRL will be completed by December 2023 or January 2024, and a Vande Bharat metro train will shuttle between Jammu and Srinagar once the project was fully operational.

In March last year, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that the project would be completed by December 2023 or January 2024. Source