Srinagar, Dec 13: The final track work for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) has been completed, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced on Friday.
In a post on the social media platform X, Vaishnaw described it as a “historic milestone.”
“Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is complete. The ballastless track work for the 3.2-km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was completed today at 2:00 AM,” he wrote on X.
An official said that work on the 17-km section between Katra and Reasi is now complete following the successful completion of the 3.2-km-long tunnel. “Inspections and trial runs are expected to begin soon on this stretch. The first train from Kashmir to Delhi is expected to commence operations within the next four months (March-April),” he said.
He said the third version of the Vande Bharat train, a sleeper variant, will serve as the new Delhi-Srinagar train, reducing the 800-kilometre journey time to less than 13 hours.
The newly constructed 46-km route from Sangaldan to Reasi has already been completed. This section passes through tunnels and the challenging terrain of the Chenab Bridge—the world’s highest railway bridge—located in the Reasi district.
The iconic Chenab Bridge spans 1,315 meters, featuring an arch span of 467 meters and a height of 359 meters above the riverbed. It is considered a marvel of engineering.
“The section from Sangaldan to Reasi has been completed, and the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) certificate has also been received,” the official said.
Earlier this year, the 48.1-km-long Banihal-Sangaldan section of the USBRL project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Jammu in February.
The USBRL project features 38 tunnels spanning 119 km, including the country’s longest transportation tunnel, Tunnel T-49, measuring 12.75 km. It also includes 927 bridges covering a combined length of 13 km. Among these is the iconic Chenab Bridge, an engineering marvel standing 359 meters above the riverbed—about 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower—making it the world’s highest arch railway bridge. The bridge, made of steel and concrete, is designed to withstand wind speeds of 260 km/h and the highest intensity earthquakes.
Notable milestones in the Kashmir Rail Project include the completion of the Baramulla-Qazigund section in 2009, Qazigund-Banihal in 2013, Udhampur-Katra in 2014, and the Banihal-Sangaldan service, inaugurated by PM Modi in February 2024.