Photo: ANI
Srinagar: Everything is in place for the ideal direct train connection between Kashmir and the rest of the nation to begin.
The newly built 17-kilometer Katra-Reasi segment in Jammu and Kashmir is now open for train service, according to the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).
The CRS has approved the operation of trains on the Katra-Reasi track, Northern Railways General Manager Ashok Kumar Verma informed the TNIE. The renowned Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway project is now complete, TNIE reported.
“We will work out on the conditions laid out by the CRS in the report and accordingly a decision will be taken on plying of trains to Srinagar,” Verma said.
He stated that after considering security and other factors, a national decision would be made on the operation of trains to Srinagar.
The trains would have to stop at Katra railway station due to security concerns, and passengers would have to get off the train and board another one to continue their journey.
Additionally, the trains on the Kashmir route will only run during the day due to security concerns. CRS Dinesh Chand Deshwal has approved the opening of the recently built broad-gauge line between Katra and Reasi stations for the public transportation of passengers and cargo in the authorisation letter.
Last week, CRS conducted a speed trial from Katra to Banihal using an inspection equipped with OMS equipment and hauled by an electric locomotive.
Phase I of the USBRL project, which covered 118 kilometres from Qazigund to Baramulla, was opened in October 2009, followed by the 18-kilometer-long Banihal-Qazigund stretch in June 2013, and the 25-kilometer-long Udhampur-Katra segment in July 2014.
In February 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually launched the 48-kilometer-long train line connecting Banihal, Khari, Sumber, and Sangaldan.
The USBRL project includes 38 tunnels (a total length of 119 kilometres). T-49 is the country's longest transportation tunnel, measuring 12.76 kilometres. There are 26 major bridges (total length of 21 kilometres) and 11 minor bridges (total length of 11 km).
Among these bridges is the famed Chenab Railway Bridge (length 1315 meters), which stands 359 meters tall and is approximately 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. It's the world's tallest arch railway bridge. Another feature of the project is the 725-meter-long Anji Bridge, India's first cable-stayed rail bridge.