• Source:JND
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) during his visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, June 6. The 272-km USBRL project has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore. It features 36 tunnels spanning a total of 119 km and 943 bridges. The project aims to provide all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

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Under this initiative, railway stations are being developed as new economic hubs, aimed at boosting regional growth. These stations will enhance transportation connectivity and contribute to the local economy. Key stations such as Reasi, Katra, Banihal, Qazigund, Sangaldan, and Budgam will play a significant role in Kashmir’s economic integration.

Railway stations across the Kashmir Valley were decorated for the occasion as Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, the first train to directly connect the Valley with the rest of India.

Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Government of Bharat, Ashwini Vaishnaw, took to his X account to share key highlights of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. He said, “Know why the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is a remarkable feat of engineering. Explore various landmarks achieved.”  

Eight Key Highlights Of USBRL Projects:

1. India's longest transportation tunnel, T-50, spans 12.77 km between Khari and Sumber.

2. India’s second-longest transportation tunnel, T-80 (11.22 km), also known as the Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel, is located between Banihal and Qazigund.

3. India’s third-longest railway tunnel, T-44, stretches 11.13 km between Sawalkote and Sangaldan.

4. The USBRL project involves the construction of 36 main tunnels totaling 119.6 km in length, and 8 escape tunnels with a combined length of 66.4 km.

5. The Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, spans 1.3 km in length and rises to a height of 359 meters, making it 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. Its construction involved over 600 km of steel welding, which is longer than the entire Jammu to Delhi railway track.

6. The Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, stretches 725.5 meters in length and is uniquely balanced on the axis of a single central pylon standing 193 meters tall from the top of its foundation. The bridge features a total of 96 stay cables, arranged as 2 sets of 24+24 on each side. Impressively, all 96 cables were installed within a short span of 11 months. The combined running length of all stay cable strands amounts to 653 kilometers, which exceeds the distance between Jammu and Delhi.

7. An advanced construction technique, the Himalayan Tunneling Method, was specifically adapted to the complex geological and seismic conditions of the Himalayan region.

8. For all-weather train movement, Vande Bharat trains are equipped with ice cutters to clear snow from tracks, ensuring smoother and safer operations.

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The USBRL project took more than three decades to complete. As stated in an official press release, the concept of a rail link connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India was first proposed in the 1970s. It received formal approval in 1994, and construction commenced in 2002 following the allocation of funds for land acquisition by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.