𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝟴.𝟲 𝗸𝗺 𝗧-𝟳𝟰 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆
MASROOR AHMAD
SRINAGAR: The work on Srinagar Udhampur rail link is near completion, according to railway authorities more than 95 percent work is completed on 111 km Katra-Banihal rail section, authorities are hopeful that this long awaited dream project will come true by the beginning of next year.
The first trial run on 8.6 km long train tunnel T-74, connecting Banihal Railway Station with Khari Railway Station in Ramban district on the 111-km long Katra-Banihal section of Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project was successfully conducted on Saturday.
The train service between Banihal and Khari Railway Stations on Katra-Banihal section is expected to begin soon as all the work on track and Railway Station Khari was completed and a trial was also conducted, an officer of the Northern Railways said.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban, who is monitoring the ongoing works of the National Projects in Ramban district Saturday posted on X that USBRL had made great strides in Ramban district.
Earlier in July, General Manager Northern Railway Shoubhan Chowdary along with other senior officers visited Sangaldan and Banihal and inspected the progress of the ongoing works on the Banihal-Katra section of the USBRL Project. He also inspected the Khari-Banihal section.
The Udhampur-Banihal Rail line is expected to revolutionising transportation and connectivity in the region. This dream project running from Udhampur,33 kilometres north east of Jammu to Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, 42 Kilometres northwest of Srinagar, the project includes the construction of 38 tunnels with a combined length of 119 Kilometres, according to quality control project head of Afcons Infrastructure Ltd .
These include the tunnel between Sumber and Arpinchala Stations and the Pir Panjal Tunnel, the longest transportation tunnel in India at 12.75 and 11.2 kilometres respectively. This project has also 932 bridges spanning a combined length of 13 kilometres ,including the iconic Chenab Rail Bridge,claimed to be the world’s highest railway bridge, and the AnjiKhad Bridge, Indian Railways first cable -stayed rail bridge.
Fawad Ahmad ,a local resident of district Anantnag told State Times that the rail link between Kashmir to Kanyakumari will also boost tourism in the region, with travellers being able to soak in the beauty of the Kashmir Valley by train and the valley’s farmers will enjoy greater access to outside markets, freed from their reliance on roads that are slow and are mostly blocked due to landslide”.
For some people ,the railway link is the hope of economic development, Shahid Ahmad, from Shopian district expressed his view and said that even though our district is not yet connected with rail link ,but in near future it will benefit everyone. He said, “Pulwama district has rail connectivity and that district is just 15 to 20 kilometre from our district headquarter, which is not a matter of concern now”.
He said, “This development will boost our horticulture industry as we will be able to transport our fruits including perishable fruits to various fruit Markets of the country on time and without any kind of damage and blockade”.