Srinagar, Dec 16: The much-awaited 17-kilometer Reasi-Katra rail link under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is set for the inauguration. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is scheduled to inspect the segment next week, officials said.
A senior official from the Ferozepur Division of Northern Railway told Rising Kashmir that CRS Dinesh Chand Deshwal and his team will conduct an inspection of the newly constructed track.
“Upon arrival in Jammu, the CRS will review the Reasi-Katra section railway line, which is part of the Ferozepur Division. This segment is expected to commence electric train operations soon,” the official said.
The inspection will include a detailed examination of the track using a trolley. It will cover tracks, electrification work, tunnels, and bridges. Following this, CRS Deshwal and other officials will attend a high-level meeting with railway officers in Jammu.
The inspection process will conclude with a speed trial on the section, conducted by a special train. The successful completion of these trials will pave the way for integrating the Valley’s rail network with the rest of India.
Meanwhile, railway authorities have issued warnings against crossing tracks or trespassing, emphasizing that such actions are punishable under the Railway Act.
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), said 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 and connecting Katra to Reasi, 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.
In its initial phase, the train will operate between Delhi and Srinagar, with plans to potentially extend the route to Baramulla in North Kashmir.
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.
On February 20 this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually dedicated to the nation new rail line between Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan (48 Km).
He also flagged off the first electric train in the valley besides train service between Sangaldan and Baramulla stations, stating that all these projects would improve connectivity, ensure environmental sustainability and boost the overall economic development of the region.
