Srinagar, June 6: It took 127 years for a dream to become reality. Vande Bharat Express will finally crisscross through the mighty Pir Panjal to reach Srinagar.
Maharaja Pratap Singh was the first ruler who dream of the Kashmir train in 1898. A project was sanctioned in 1905, but it could not be implemented. After independence, Jammu was connected with the rest of India, but the valley remained landlocked. Indira Gandhi started work on the difficult Chenab section (which includes Kashmir) in 1983.
However, it was the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) that made the Kashmir train dream a reality. Approved in 1994–95 and declared a National Project in 2002, the USBRL has been completed in phases. Key sections such as Qazigund–Baramulla (2009), Banihal–Qazigund (2013), Udhampur–Katra (2014), and Banihal–Sangaldan (2020) have already been commissioned. A trial run of MEMU trains was also successfully conducted last year on the electrified Reasi–Sangaldan section.
The 111-km-long Katra-Banihal stretch comprises 27 main tunnels and 8 escape tunnels. 87% of the 111 km of the section is covered in tunnels.
Here are the salient features of the Vande Bharat train:
The train is specially designed for the region’s extreme climate.
The Vande Bharat Express, specially designed to operate in sub-zero temperatures of the Kashmir Valley, is already stationed at Katra.
The train consists of eight fully air-conditioned coaches equipped with cab heating, HVAC systems with 9kW heating capacity, sealed gangways, infotainment displays, CCTV surveillance, LED lighting, mobile charging ports, automatic plug doors, and electro-pneumatic brakes.
The train is capable of running at speeds up to 160 km/h. However, it will operate at a limited speed of 85 km/h between Katra and Srinagar, as per the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) approval.
The driver’s cabin has a heated windshield to prevent it from fogging up or freezing for clear visibility in extreme temperatures.
The train also has heating elements in the plumbing and bio-toilets to prevent water from freezing, ensuring that essential systems continue to function during cold weather.
A snow removal train, moving ahead of passenger and freight trains, will ensure that trains on this route run throughout the year.
Challenges:
The toughest challenge in the USBRL project was to give foundation support to the arch bridge on the Chenab River.
The Chenab Bridge stands at 467 meters, making it 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. Officials revealed that around 29,000 tonnes of steel were used in its construction. Designed to withstand earthquakes up to magnitude 8, the bridge posed significant engineering challenges due to its location in a high-seismic zone.
Officials said the journey will reduce travel time between the two cities to just three hours, compared to the current 6–7 hours by road.