Srinagar, Sep 29: Etching a significant milestone in enhancing railway connectivity in the region , Northern Railways conducted a successful trolley-run on the crucial Banihal-Khari railway stretch of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla-Rail-Link (USBRL) project in Ramban district on Friday.
A northern railway officer said that the first trolley run was conducted from Banihal to Sumbar in presence of Member Infra Railway Board. This is part of the USBRL project in J&K. The trolley-run follows the successful completion of track laying work on this crucial stretch, he said.
Officials involved in the project revealed that the track laying works between Banihal-Khari and Khari-Sumber Railway stations have been completed, paving the way for the trial-trolley run currently underway.
The run, conducted from Railway Station Banihal to Railway Station Khari, witnessed the presence of senior officers and engineers from Northern Railway, along with officials from the construction company IRCON.
The Banihal-Khari railway stretch is an integral part of the 111-km-long Banihal-Katra section of the USBRL project, which aims to enhance connectivity in the region. Earlier in August this year, the first trial run on the 8.6-km-long train tunnel T-74 was executed successfully, marking another significant milestone in the project’s progress.
“Our focus now shifts to Sumber and Sangaldan stations.” the official said. “Buildings and other infrastructure for Railway Stations Khari, Sumber, and Sangaldan are nearly complete. Work on platforms and railway track laying between Sumber and Sangaldan stations is in progress,” he added.
The railway authorities are putting in round-the-clock efforts to finalize pending works on these three vital stations – Khari, Sumber, and Sangaldan, along the Katra-Banihal track in Ramban district. The goal is to ensure that trains will soon be running on the Katra-Banihal section.
Talking to Rising Kashmir Chief Area Manager (CAM) Kashmir, Saqib Yousuf Yatoo (IRTS) said that trolley run was conducted on Thursday in presence of senior officers from the Northern Railways. It is a positive move and soon trains will chug between these stations.
Earlier in July 2023, Shobhan Chaudhuri, General Manager of Northern Railways, inspected the progress of ongoing works on the 111-km Katra-Banihal section and reported that an impressive 95 percent of the project was already completed, underlining the rapid pace of development in this critical railway connectivity initiative.
