Srinagar, Dec 17: Northern Railways General Manager Ashok Kumar Verma has confirmed that all pending work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will be completed by January 2025, paving the way for the much-anticipated Vande Bharat train to operate between New Delhi and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters in Reasi, Verma expressed optimism about the completion timeline, emphasizing that the railway connectivity would significantly boost tourism in the Kashmir Valley and transform its overall development.
“The development will reach the grassroots level. From hotels to taxis, everything will change and create a new environment for growth. It will be a game-changer for the development of Kashmir,” Verma said.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) Dinesh Chand Deshwal conducted a detailed inspection of the Reasi-Katra rail link as part of the ongoing USBRL project to ensure safety compliance.
“Before starting train services, inspections by CRS teams are essential. Today, we conducted an inspection of a portion of the track, and a thorough assessment of the T3 tunnel will follow shortly,” Deshwal said. He further informed that the railways have already received approval to run trains on the Srinagar-Reasi section. “The inspection of the final stretch, from Reasi to Katra, will be conducted in the coming days,” he added.
During the visit, Deshwal also reviewed the final progress of the prestigious Anji and Chenab bridge projects in the Chenab region, which are critical components of the USBRL project.
On December 13, the USBRL project achieved a historic milestone with the completion of ballast-less track work on Tunnel T-33, the final tunnel connecting Katra to Reasi. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted the accomplishment in a post on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the ballast-less track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine, was successfully completed at 2:00 AM on December 13.
The Reasi-Katra rail link is expected to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2025. The inaugural event will also mark the launch of a new sleeper variant of the Vande Bharat Express, which will connect Delhi and Srinagar. This direct train service will significantly reduce the travel time for the 800-kilometer journey to under 13 hours.
Earlier in November, Union Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh, said that rail operations between Srinagar and New Delhi would commence in January 2025, with the USBRL project fully completed by December 2024.
“Whenever Prime Minister Modi’s schedule permits, he will inaugurate this landmark project. The USBRL will not only connect Kashmir with the rest of India but also drive regional development and support local industries,” Singh said.
