The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project in Jammu and Kashmir has reached a major milestone with the completion of its final track work.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the achievement on Friday, calling it a “historic milestone.” In a post on the social media platform X, Vaishnaw wrote, “Final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is complete. The ballastless track work for the 3.2-km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today at 2:00 AM.”
With the 17-km stretch between Katra and Reasi now complete, inspections and trial runs are expected to begin soon.
An official said, “The first train from Kashmir to Delhi is expected to commence operations within the next four months (March-April).”
The new service will feature the third version of the Vande Bharat train, a sleeper variant, which will reduce the 800-km journey to less than 13 hours.
The 46-km route from Sangaldan to Reasi, which passes through tunnels and the world’s highest railway bridge—the Chenab Bridge—has also been completed.
The official added, “The section from Sangaldan to Reasi has been completed, and the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) certificate has also been received.”
Earlier this year, the 48.1-km Banihal-Sangaldan section of the USBRL project was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The USBRL project, covering 272 km, was sanctioned in 1994-95 and includes 38 tunnels and 927 bridges.
