The Ministry of Railways is closely monitoring the rail projects in Jammu and Kashmir for their timely completion. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the progress of the project and Union Minister of State for Railways Darshan Vikram Jardosh inspected the construction sites to get a ground report.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link National Project will connect the Kashmir Valley with Kanyakumari in the South. According to reports, 13 big and 11 small bridges have been constructed so far. The world’s highest railway bridge has been constructed under the project and now the railways are focusing on constructing the asymmetrical cable-stayed bridge on the Anji bridge to the earliest.
Union Minister of State for Railways Darshana Vikram Jardosh, who was on his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir to monitor the construction of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link National Project said, “Once the project is complete, it will be a game-changer. People of the Kashmir valley will have a much easier and cheaper mode of commuting and business will boost in the region.”
The MoS, Railways, while talking to the media at the Srinagar Railway Station said, “Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) is India’s most ambitious railway project after independence and Railways. We hope to complete the project by the deadline.”
“The Central Government is carrying out several development projects in the region,” Jardosh further said.
He also visited the Banihal railway station and inspected the Tunnel T-80 and the control room. The Tunnel T-80 is 11.2 kilometres long. It is said to be the longest rail tunnel in India. The tunnel passes through the vast Pir Panjal Himalayan range and connects the towns of Banihal and Qazigund in Jammu and Kashmir.
Indian Railways officials informing the media about the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link National Project said that the project was divided into four phases. Three phases of the project – Banihal to Baramulla – are complete and operations have also been started. The last phase covering 111 kilometres to connect Katra with Banihal is extremely challenging.
The Indian Railways said that the construction work of the fourth phase is extremely challenging as 97 km out of 111 kilometres of the route on this line is tunnelled. “Seven railway stations are proposed in this rail section. Due to the unavailability of flat land some stations will be located inside tunnels and some over the bridge. Trains on these routes will run on electricity,” said an Indian Railways official.
