USBRL Project: Trails of cargo trains to continue till Jan 4 along Katra-Reasi section

Srinagar, Dec 26: Northern Railways successfully conducted the second consecutive trail run of a cargo-loaded train and rail engine on the Katra-Reasi section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on Wednesday.
A senior railway official told Rising Kashmir that the a day after 1st electric engine chugged through tunnel no. 1 and the Anji Khad Cable Bridge, the trail runs will continue until January 4, 2024, as a precursor to the final inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) scheduled for January 5.
“The trails are aimed at testing the operational efficiency and safety of this critical rail link in the last phase of the project,” he said adding that this will ensure all parameters meet the requisite safety standards before the section becomes fully operational.
The Katra-Reasi section is a significant part of the USBRL project, a monumental undertaking to connect the Kashmir with the rest of India through an all-weather railway network.
“Once operational, it will facilitate seamless freight and passenger movement, boosting trade and connectivity in the region,” he said.
On December 25, Indian Railways conducted a successful trail run of an electric engine on the country’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge, in Reasi district.
The trail included a train with 32 coaches that traversed the track between Katra Railway Station and Reasi. The Anji Khad Bridge is an engineering marvel designed to withstand the region’s challenging terrain and seismic conditions.
Meanwhile on Jan 05 next year, CRS inspection will involve a detailed review of safety measures, track alignment, and operational protocols.
As per the communique issued by Northern Railways reads that the movement of Inspection Carriage RA-001181, nominated for the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Circle, New Delhi.
It reads that from January 5 to January 6, 2025, statutory inspections will be conducted for the opening of the Katra-Reasi (16.501 Km) section.
This section is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla New Broad Gauge (B.G.) Rail Link Project. The inspection will start at 20:50 hrs on January 5 and conclude at 07:55 hrs on January 6, it said.
During the inspection, the following officials will accompany the Commissioner: CAO/USBRL, CBE, CSE, COM-G, CEGE from Headquarters, DRM/FZR, and BOs.
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.