What Centre Said About The USBRL Project Connecting Kashmir-Kanyakumari

The 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL) connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari is likely to be completed by the end of the financial year. The Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, addressed questions from Lok Sabha MP Sudhir Gupta in parliament today regarding the progress report of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line.

A BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur asked the Railway Ministry about the current status of the railway stretch in Jammu and Kashmir and the total amount of money spent on its construction.

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In a written reply, the Minister of Railways explained that work on the new line in Jammu & Kashmir is under progress under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project. Out of the total 272 km of the rail link, 255 km have been completed while work on the balance stretch of the Katra-Reasi section of 17 km length has been taken up, said Vaishnaw.

The railway minister stated that the anticipated cost of the project is Rs 41,000 crore, out of which Rs 38,931 crore has been spent till March 2024 on the project.

Replying to the BJP MP’s question on when the project will be finished, Vaishnaw stated that the project will be completed in this financial year.

Gupta also asked whether the ministry had conducted trial runs on the world’s highest railway bridge built over the Chenab River on USBRL and its outcome.

Vaishnaw explained that the USBRL project is “perhaps, the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence,” as the terrain passes through young Himalayas.

“This section predominantly involves tunnelling i.e. 97.42 km out of 111 Km (i.e. 87%) of length of Katra-Banihal section is in tunnels and maximum length of tunnel T-49 is 12.77 km, which will be longest railway tunnel in the country. Railway has made the world’s highest Railway Bridge over Chenab River in Reasi District of Jammu & Kashmir,” he wrote.

Vaishnaw further noted that the Chenab bridge is 1315 m long with an arch span of 467 m and a height of 359 m above the river bed. “Indian Railway’s first cable stayed bridge has been constructed over AnjiKhad. Its bridge deck is 331 m above the river bed level, and height of its Main pylon is 193m,” he added.

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The railway minister stated that the trial run with electric trains has been successfully conducted on the bridge. “The section from Reasi to Sangaldan (46 km) has been commissioned. Chenab Bridge is situated between Bakkal and Dugga stations on Reasi-Sangaldan section,” he informed.

The USBRL project is an important initiative designed to connect the northernmost part of India with the broader rail network of the country. The railway infrastructure initiative involves navigating the challenging terrain of the Himalayas.