Inspection of Udhampur-Baramulla Rail Link Initiated by Railway Safety Commissioner
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Jammu, Jan 7 (NationPress) The Railway Safety Commissioner for the Northern Circle, Dinesh Chand Deshwal, has officially begun a necessary two-day examination of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which has recently been completed.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Jammu Railway Division, marking an important milestone in railway connectivity between the Valley and the rest of the nation. Furthermore, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnav announced last month the completion of the Reasi-Katra section.
The Commissioner conducted a mandatory inspection of the Katra-Reasi section and visited the Anji Khad bridge, recognized as India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, upon arriving in Katra on Tuesday.
According to officials, the Commissioner is scheduled to visit the renowned arch bridge over the Chenab at Kauri, which is the world’s highest railway bridge, before the round trip speed trial of Katra-Banihal on Wednesday afternoon.
An electric train successfully conducted a trial run on the Katra-Banihal section on January 4.
Over the past month, the railways have carried out six trials on different segments of the track, including the significant milestones of the Anji Khad Bridge and the Chenab Bridge.
Upon concluding his two-day inspection, the railway official will submit a report that will inform future actions regarding the initiation of train services to Kashmir.
Of the total 272 km USBRL project, 209 km has been commissioned in phases, starting with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section in October 2009, followed by the 18 km Banihal-Qazigund stretch in June 2013, the 25 km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014, and the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February of last year.
The completion of the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also achieved in June of last year, with the remaining 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra finally finished in December 2024.
Officials noted that the ambitious project aimed at linking Kashmir by train commenced in 1997 and has faced numerous delays due to geological, topographical, and meteorological challenges. The operationalization of the USBRL represents a significant achievement for the people of the Valley, a dream that has been elusive for the last 70 years.
When it becomes a reality on January 26 with the inauguration of the Vande Bharat train between Delhi and Baramulla by the Prime Minister, traders, students, apple growers, tourism industry stakeholders, and the general public will finally be integrated into the country’s railway network. This development is poised to usher in an unprecedented era of growth in the Valley.
