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Connecting J&K By Rail Has Been A Complex And Challenging Saga

SRINAGAR: The inauguration of the Kashmir rail link by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will unravel a new and fascinating chapter of history for the Valley and its over 7.5 million people, as the all-weather connectivity will not only reduce dependence on the landslide-prone Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH 44), but it is also a triumph for the scenic Himalayan region's integration with the rest of the country. Ahead of the PM's visit on Friday, security has been beefed up across Jammu and Kashmir. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project has been a mix of ambition and challenges with a focus on enhancing connectivity between the twin regions of Jammu and Kashmir (Jammu and the Valley). It will reduce travel time between the erstwhile state's twin capitals to three-and-a-half hours from five to six hours by road. The project also suggests a broader vision to integrate the Valley into mainland India's economic and social fabric, potentially boosting tourism and trade. The ₹43,780 crore USBRL project, which is a part of a 338-km railway line from Jammu to Baramulla, also holds immense strategic importance for the country. It will facilitate year-round rapid deployment of troops and supplies to the sensitive Kashmir Valley and significantly reduce transit time for transporting troops and equipment to Ladakh. According to defence analysts, the faster mobilisation of military resources to the Valley and Ladakh will enhance India's defence preparedness and support quicker logistical supply chains for sustaining operations in these strategically important regions. The centrepiece of the USBRL - Chenab Bridge - has generated immense excitement as the world's highest railway bridge. Standing at 359 metres (1,178 feet) above the Chenab River, it surpasses the Eiffel Tower of Paris in height and stretches 1,315 metres (4,314 feet) with a central arch of 467 metres. This engineering marvel, located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district, overcomes challenging terrain and seismic risks, ensuring reliable rail connectivity to the Valley. Apart from the Chenab Bridge, the Prime Minister is also scheduled to flag off the Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar, marking the completion of the Katra-Sangaldan stretch of the USBRL. On Thursday, the Northern Railway announced that the Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar will start commercial operations from June 7. It has already unveiled the timetable for the newly launched Vande Bharat Express trains running between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar. Two pairs of semi-high-speed trains will operate six days a week with limited stops at Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Banihal, and Srinagar. The train will cover a distance of 190 km in just three hours. The journey, which takes about eight to 10 hours, will now be much shorter and more comfortable by train. The route is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, which also features the world's highest railway bridge, called the Chenab bridge. "It has two travelling classes -- chair car (CC) and executive class (EC), with tickets costing '715 and '1,320 respectively," an official from the Northern Railway said. On June 7, the first train will commence from Katra at 8.10 am and reach Srinagar at 11.08 am. The same train will return in the afternoon from Srinagar at 2 pm and reach Katra at 4.58 pm. This train service will not be available on Tuesday. Another train will start from Katra at 2.55 pm and reach Srinagar at 5.53 pm. The same train will return from Srinagar the next day at 8 am. This service will not operate on Wednesday. "During its approximately 3-hour-long journey, as of now the trains will only stop at Banihal, but later on other stoppages will also be decided," the official said. The Prime Minister termed June 6 "a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir". He said that the inauguration by him of key infrastructure projects worth ₹46,000 crores will have a positive impact on people's lives. He called the Chenab Bridge an extraordinary feat of architecture, asserting the USBRL project will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities. J&K lieutenant-governor Manoj Sinha said that the Chenab Bridge is not just an engineering marvel but also a symbol of resurgent India on the path to becoming a developed country by 2047. "The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link marks the beginning of a new era for Jammu and Kashmir... It is also a testament to the Prime Minister's commitment to transforming the region," he said. J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah said that the Vande Bharat train to be flagged off on Friday by the Prime Minister at Katra will benefit everyone. "It has been a long wait and now the train is set to benefit us all," he told reporters in Srinagar. The chief minister said the Vande Bharat train has already set multiple records, including running over the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, and the Anji Khad Bridge, the country's longest cable-stayed rail bridge. Mr Abdullah and Union minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday visited the Katra Railway Station and the Chenab Bridge to assess safety measures, structural readiness and logistical arrangements. The chief minister wrote on X, "Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, the Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of the Hon PM @narendramodi ji tomorrow. Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the Valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the Honourable PM." Mr Singh also took to the microblogging site to say, "Just one more day to wait. The majestic 'Chenab Bridge' is going to be inaugurated by PM Shri @narendramodi on 6th June 2025. Beginning of a grand new chapter for #JammuandKashmir!" Mr Modi, while responding to Mr Abdullah's post, said, "Tomorrow, June 6 is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth ₹ 46,000 crores are being inaugurated, which will have a very positive impact on people's lives." A security high alert has been sounded across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of the Prime Minister's visit, his first after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor launched by India as a direct response to it. While the security arrangements in the hinterland are notably stringent, the anti-infiltration grid along both the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) with Pakistan is on high alert, the official sources said. Thousands of J&K policemen and members of CRPF and other Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed at key places in major cities and towns, other vulnerable areas and along the Srinagar-Jammu Highway (NH-44). The history of connecting J&K with the rest of the country by rail is a complex and challenging saga, marked by strategic imperatives, geographical obstacles, and political sensitivities. Pathankot was connected with Jammu in 1972 and the Srinagar Express (now Jhelum Express) made its first run between the two cities on December 2 that year. The new Jammu Tawi station was officially opened in 1975. The 53-km railway line from Jammu to Udhampur, featuring 158 bridges and 10 km of tunnels, was opened for regular service on April 13, 2005. The USBRL was declared a national project by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 2002. The 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section in the Kashmir Valley was inaugurated by his successor Manmohan Singh in October 2009, connecting north and south Kashmir but remaining isolated from the national grid. The 18-km Banihal-Qazigund section and the 25-km Udhampur-Katra section were inaugurated by Mr Modi in June 2013 and July 2014, respectively. These narrowed the gap between Jammu and Kashmir Valley's rail networks. On February 20 last year, Mr Modi inaugurated the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section, featuring the 12.77 km T-50 tunnel (India's longest transportation tunnel). Also, it was when the first electric MEMU train was introduced in the Kashmir Valley. In December last year and January this year, successful trial runs were conducted on the 17 km Katra-Banihal section, the final link. Around this time, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Jammu Railway Division. From the Valley side, the 118-km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund (the gateway to the Valley from the south) was inaugurated in phases, as the section was completed incrementally - Baramulla to Anantnag on October 20, 2008, and Anantnag to Qazigund a year later. The inaugural train services between Baramulla and Qazigund were flagged off by then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 28, 2009. The link between Qazigund and Banihal, a critical 18 km section of the USBRL project, was inaugurated on June 26, 2013. This stretch includes the Pir Panjal Tunnel (11.2 km), India's longest railway tunnel at the time. The 48.1 km Banihal to Sangaldan stretch was opened for regular train services by Mr Modi during a virtual event on February 20, 2024.

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