With the completion of the work on the last tunnel connecting the holy town of Katra with Reasi, rail traffic from Kashmir to Kanyakumari is likely to start soon.
The inauguration of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project would be the New Year gift for the countrymen as this project will likely be dedicated to the nation very soon.
Railway Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw informed that the ballast-less track work for the 3.2-km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed. He described this achievement as a “historic milestone”.
With the completion of the work on the Tunnel between Katra and Reasi railway stations, the Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project is likely to be finished by the end of this month and the inauguration of this project is likely to be held any time after December 31.
Historic milestone; Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is complete.
The ballast-less track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today… pic.twitter.com/VUZTTi61A7
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) December 13, 2024
Officials sources said that majority of work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is complete, with the remaining tasks expected to be finished by December.
As reported earlier, the track between Sangaldan and Reasi is ready, having already been inspected by the Director of Safety, Railways. The section from Reasi to Katra is now completed.
Plans to run a train between Sangaldan and Reasi have been revised, and it has now been decided to operate trains simultaneously on the entire 63-kilometer stretch from Sangaldan to Katra.
“Work on Tunnel T-33 has also been completed. Additionally, all construction on the four stations along the 17-kilometer line between Reasi and Katra will be wrapped up by the end of this year”, sources said.
Recently Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Singh Bittu, while inspecting this project, indicated that testing on the Katra-Kashmir railway track is likely to conclude by December, thus ensuring Kashmir’s connection to the railway network by January.
“With efficient highways and railways, we can compete globally. I believe this project will be completed by January, and the PM will inaugurate it,” he had stated.
About ambitious USBRL Project
The Udhampur -Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line ( USBRL) Project comprises 38 tunnels spanning 119 kilometers, including the country’s longest transportation tunnel, Tunnel T-49, at 12.75 kilometers.
It also features 927 bridges covering a total length of 13 kilometers. Among these is the iconic Chenab Bridge, an engineering marvel that stands 359 meters above the riverbed—about 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower—making it the world’s highest arch railway bridge. This bridge, made of steel and concrete, is designed to withstand wind speeds of 260 km/h and the highest intensity earthquakes.
Phase I of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which covers the 118-kilometer Qazigund-Baramulla section, was inaugurated in October 2009. The following phases included the inauguration of the 18-kilometer Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25-kilometer Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.
In February, the first electric train trial run on the Banihal-Katra section of the USBRL project in Ramban was successfully carried out. This trial involved around 40 kilometers of track and tunnels, stretching from Banihal to Khari to Sangaldan Railway Stations in the Ramban district.