The Government of India has engaged national and international consultants to study safety aspects of Katra-Banihal Rail Project in Jammu and Kashmir which is expected to be completed by 2020.
“In Katra-Banihal section, various institutes and consultants of national and international repute have been engaged to study safety-related aspects. These include Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi, IIT-Roorke, Indian Institute of Science-Bengaluru, M/s Geodata SPA, Italy, M/s Amberg Engineering, Switzerland, M/s. Lombardi M/s SNC Lavalin Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd, Switzerland, M/s Bernard in Genieure, Austria and ITASCA/USA,” Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha,, through a written reply, has informed Lower House of the Parliament.
The government also informed that work on the project was going on at full pace and would be completed by 2020—the fresh deadline set for its completion.
The Minister stated that safety is “prime parameter” in construction of any railway project and for “very complex” projects like Katra-Banihal Rail Link, a multi-tier study about safety is done by engaging consultants of national and international repute.
“For simple type of projects in plain areas, the safety issues are examined by zonal railways while Research Designee and Standards Organization is consulted in case of any complexity involved,” the reply stated.
Pertinently, the 345-km Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link—an ambitious project of Northern Railways—was started in 1983. It will link the state’s winter capital Jammu with the summer capital Srinagar and beyond.
Substantial progress on the project was made after it was declared a ‘National Project’ in 2002. Its scheduled date of completion was 15 August 2007. However, the deadline wasn’t met.
