Source: https://timesproperty.com/news/post/udhampur-srinagar-baramulla-rail-link-updates-blid4246
Publisher: Times Property
Introduction
The Central government put a lot of effort into finishing such a large-scale national project on schedule to increase railway connections and bring Kashmir closer to the rest of the country. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project is “very well” underway, and all work is in “top gear.” The project’s approved funding of Rs 37,012.26 crore has already been utilized to the tune of 90% of that total.
The Indian Railways worked on a large-scale project called the USBRL to build a broad-gauge railway line through the Himalayas to connect Kashmir with the rest of the nation. The growth of the country’s northernmost Alpine region was sped up by the availability of an all-season, cosy, practical, and affordable mass transit system.
The project was finished in 2022 and make it easier for J&K residents to travel. It was constructed using 66,000 cubic meters of concrete, 1 million cubic meters of earthwork, and 28,660 metric tons of forged metal.
This project involves IRCON, KRCL, and Northern Railway, three organizations. Planning and implementation expertise was offered by numerous international organizations and prestigious Indian institutions like IIT Roorkee, IIT Delhi, DRDO, and the Geological Survey of India.
The Northern Railway is building a 272-kilometre railway line at a projected cost of 28,000 crores. Both the first part, which connects Udhampur to Katra, and the third section, which runs between Banihal and Baramulla, had been finished way earlier and were already in use.
Currently under construction is the 111-km Katra-Banihal stretch, which is the most difficult and dangerous because of its geology and huge riverine system, which is full of deep gorges. The majority of the rail track in this stretch is planned to be in tunnels or beneath bridges.
The longest tunnel (T-49) in the USBRL project, which consists of 38 tunnels totalling 119 km in length, was finished on February 15, 2021.
Of the 272 km USBRL project, the first phase saw the completion of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla portion in October 2009, followed by the 18-kilometre Banihal-Qazigund segment in June 2013, the 25 km Udhampur-Katra part in July 2014, and the ongoing 111-kilometre Katra-Banihal stretch.
Completion Of USBRL
The timely acquisition of land by the state government, the clearance of the forest by department officials, the deposit of funds by the state government in cost-sharing projects, the relocation of infringing utilities, the receipt of statutory clearances from various authorities, the geological and topographical conditions of the area, the state of law and order near the project site, and the number of working months in a given project’s calendar year are all factors that affect the completion of any railway projects. All of these elements have an impact on the project’s completion timeline.
There are currently 19 passenger special train services operating on the USBRL Project’s Baramula-Badgam-Banihal stretch. In addition, Indian Railways continuously introduces new train services or expands current train services depending on traffic demand, operational viability, and rolling stock availability.
New Line Projects are evaluated in light of the demands made by state governments, central ministries, Members of Parliament, and other public representatives, as well as the needs of the railroads. As the process of receiving such suggestions is continual and constant, there is no central database keeping track of such requests. The proposals are evaluated based on their profitability, last-mile connectivity, augmentation of or ingested/saturated lines, socioeconomic considerations, missing links, and alternative routes, including connectivity to tourist destinations, etc. This is a continuous and ongoing process that is dependent on the obligations of ongoing projects, the overall availability of funds, and competing demands.
