Srinagar, March 18: Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, on Tuesday said that the much-anticipated Jammu-Srinagar rail link has been completed and train services will begin soon, he said.
While speaking about historic infrastructure expansion taking place across the railway network, the Union Railway Minister said that infrastructure expansion taking place across the railway network, the Minister emphasized the fulfillment of long-standing projects, such as connecting Jammu to Srinagar through engineering marvels like the Anji and Chenab bridges, with the latter standing 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower.
“With the completion of the CRS inspection and implementation of recommendations, train services between Jammu and Srinagar will soon commence,” he said.
The union minister further said that new train will soon operate between Jammu and Srinagar.
“The suggestions given in the report are being implemented, and once finalized, approval will be obtained for train operations between Jammu and Srinagar, fulfilling a major national dream,” he added.
Earlier railways said that five new railway surveys are underway in Jammu and Kashmir, while several key projects remain stalled due to financial and feasibility concerns.
Responding to a query by MP Mohmad Haneefa in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw informed the Lok Sabha that the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh rail project was dropped due to high costs and low traffic demand.
“Similarly, the Jammu-Poonch railway line remains on hold due to feasibility challenges. However, the doubling of the Banihal-Baramulla rail line has been prioritized by the government,” he said.
The railway minister Vaishnaw clarified that there are no immediate plans to conduct a survey for a rail link between Ganderbal in Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh, despite the strategic importance of the region.
He emphasized that railway projects are approved based on traffic demand, operational requirements, and funding availability rather than specific district or Union Territory considerations.
“A survey for the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh rail line was conducted in 2016-17, estimating the cost of the 480-km project at ₹55,896 crore. However, it was not pursued further due to low projected traffic,” he said.
