VINOD BHAT
Jammu and Kashmir
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project (total length 272 Km) has been recently commissioned, thus connecting Kashmir Valley with rest of the country by rail network. USBRL project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir
The USBRL project is one of the most difficult new railway line projects undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. In this project, Railway has made the world’s highest Railway Bridge over Chenab River in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1315 m long having Arch span of 467 m and height of 359 m above river bed. Indian Railway’s first cable stayed bridge has been constructed over Anji Khad in this project. Its bridge deck is 331m above the river bed level and height of its Main pylon is 193m.
Another crucial facet of the USBRL Project’s socio-economic development efforts has been the construction of over 215 km of approach roads, which include construction of a tunnel and 320 small bridges. This road network has helped the local population in improvement of their connectivity with other areas. It has also made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact. The project has generated more than 5 Core man-days of employment.
After commissioning of the Project, Indian Railways have introduced 4 Vande Bharat services viz. 26401/26402 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra -Srinagar Vande Bharat Express and 26403/26404 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express to connect Katra with Srinagar. Further, 6 pairs of DEMU/MEMU services are catering to the Qazigund-Srinagar sector while 05 pairs of DEMU/MEMU services are catering to the Srinagar-Baramulla sector.
With the all-weather, reliable and comfortable rail connectivity of valley portion with rest of the Indian Railway network, tourism gets a big boost. The commissioning of the project has helped the apple farmers in transporting apples to different parts of the country, provided train connectivity and eased passenger flow towards Kashmir. It has also helped in transporting commodities like cement and other commodities to valley.
To further improve/extend the rail connectivity in Kashmir region, survey of Baramulla-Uri new line (46 Km) and Banihal-Baramulla doubling (118 Km) has been completed and Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared.
After preparation of DPR, sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders, including State Governments and necessary approvals viz, appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines depend upon appraisals and approvals by various stakeholders.
This information was given by the Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
