In 2012 Centre decided to list long pending Jammu-Poonch Rail Link as National Project entitled for priority with special financial provisions
DAYA SAGAR
Answer given to unstarred 3314 by Shri Gulam Ali MP from UT of J&K in a written reply on March 28, 2025 by Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply has surely disappointed many J&K , particularly those belonging to Jammu Division . Sh. Gulam Nabi had asked < ” Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has a proposal to establish railway connectivity to Jammu-RajouriPoonch; and (b) if so, the towns to be connected under the project and the proposed timelines?”> . And the Minister had said in written reply < ” (a) and (b): The work on new railway line connecting Jammu with Srinagar i.e. UdhampurSrinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project (272 Km) has been completed. This project covers the district of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla in Jammu & Kashmir.” “Survey for new line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnur and Rajauri (223km) was carried out. The cost of project was assessed as Rs 22,771 crore. The project has low traffic projections.”
Sanctioning of Railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway. Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes including connectivity to hilly and border areas, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.”>.
The Minister did not in plain words reply to part (a) of the question asking “Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state: (a) whether Government has a proposal to establish railway connectivity to Jammu-RajouriPoonch;” and the indirect answer was ‘NO’ since the Minister said in the answer < “Survey for new line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnoor and Rajouri (223km) was carried out. The cost of project was assessed as Rs 22,771 crore. The project has low traffic projections.” “Sanctioning of Railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway. Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up on the basis of remunerativeness, last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes including connectivity to hilly and border areas, augmentation of congested/saturated lines, socio-economic considerations etc. depending upon liabilities of ongoing projects, overall availability of funds and competing demands.”>. Answer to part (b) too could be read from in between the lines as “Nil” for the time being. Earlier also it was reported as per the information shared by a senior RTI Activist Sh. Raman Sharma of J&K that in response to his RTI applications in 2022 the Jammu- Poonch rail project is said to have been ‘shelved’/ not taken ahead by Railway Board since project had been found financially unviable . Application of Raman Sharma dated February 26, 2022 was replied March 8, 2022 s/d Director Project Management & CPIO < Survey of new broad gauge line between Jammu and Poonch ( 223km) was completed in 2018. As per survey report the project was unviable. As such the project could not be taken forward.> and Application of Raman Sharma dated March 12, 2022 was replied March 15, 2022 s/d & CPIO < Survey for new line Jammu to Poonch was completed in 2017-18. The project could not be taken forward being economically unviable. Presently there is no proposal under consideration on this line. The survey has been shelved with the approval of Railway Board”>.
It will not be wrong to infer from the answer of Minister and what the Railways communicated to Sh. Raman Sharma in 2022 in reply to his RTIs that GOI had taken the project as economically not viable about more than 3 years back in a way confirming that presently there is no project in hand with Railways as Jammu Rajouri Poonch since Railway Infrastructure Projects are taken up more on the basis of remunerativeness , depending upon liabilities of ongoing, overall availability of funds and competing demandsprojects for which the said rail line does not qualify. Any how as regards other parameters like last mile connectivity, missing links and alternate routes including connectivity to hilly and border areas, socio-economic considerations etc it can not be said that the area under reference does not qualify rather these parameters deserved to be considered of value more than the immediate direct economic remunerativeness which as per the reply carries over riding consideration for GOI where as in a socialist democratic republic that should not be. Even if immediate economic viability is to be considered that too could be made to surface since it would take not than 10- 15 years for the project to become functional and during this period the high budget projects on creating commercial summer / winter/ adventure tourism that have been so far denied to the areas even after 1947 inspite of there being enough scope could be now taken with special pace worth creating enough of traffic worth local visits as well as visiting Kashmir Valley through Rajouri Poonch. The Mugal road route was used by Indian kings to Visit Valley but even that road has not been given due priority. So the viability pleading does not test here.
In what context the Minister made reference of the railway line connecting Jammu with Srinagar i.e. UdhampurSrinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project (272 Km) connecting s the district of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla is not understood since these areas no where fall in the Jammu-Rajouri Poonch.
May be real needs and socio economic status of the unexploited natural resources in the region have not been well presented to the Railway Minister by the local administration as well as the Political leaders of J&K and so has been the decision of the Railway ministry to drop the project. So the local leadership of the day too has to share the responsibility. , In December 2024 senior National Conference leader and Former Minister, Shri Ajay Kumar Sadhotra while addressing a public meeting at Pancheri , expressed that the Omar Abdullah-led government would prioritize placing the untapped and unexplored tourist destinations of Jammu Division on the national tourism map and called for a comprehensive strategy to promote destinations like Bani-Basohli, Bhaderwah, Doda, Rajouri, and Poonch, known for their stunning landscapes, cultural heritage, and adventure tourism potential, going by that it could be hoped that he would impress upon J&K Chief Minister to lay first priority on making Union Rail Minister to take the Jammu Poonch rail link out of the shelf for priority execution so that 7 years lost after 2018 are also covered. Had British seen only commercial profitability there would have been no rail line to Shimla ( Kalka Shimla Railway, a 96.6 kilometer long a single track working rail link was built in the mid-19th century), no line to Darjeeling ( nineteenth century ) and like.
Let us have a brief look into the pilgrim tourism & commercial tourism potential and the scope for value resorts that exist in the Pir Panchal region in Rajouri- Poonch stretches worth drawing the attention of GOI to immediately reverse the decisions and take the said rail line estimated to cost around INR 25000 cr of which a good portion will also directly or indirectly add to the economic health of local population even during construction of the project. The local population otherwise also is required to be additionally compensated for the short fall in economic development all these years.
To be continued
(The writer is a Sr Journalist & a known analyst of J&K affairs)