SRINAGAR: In a noteworthy development for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, the 111-kilometer final phase linking Banihal to Katra is approaching completion. Union Minister of State, Dr Jitendra Singh, announced that the 12.77 km longest tunnel is nearing readiness.
In a post on X, Union Minister of State, Dr Jitendra Singh, conveyed, “The 111-km final phase of USBRL #Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project from #Banihal-#Katra is in its last stages, with Tunnel T-50, the longest at 12.77 km, nearing completion.”
A senior railway official informed KNO that the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL), spanning 272 kilometers, aims to establish a dependable transportation system for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
This National Project, designated as such in 2002, tackles the demanding Himalayan terrain. It encompasses the construction of 38 tunnels, totaling an impressive 119 kilometers in length.
The USBRL project includes 927 bridges, with a combined length of 13 kilometers. The most notable of these bridges is the Chenab Bridge, boasting an overall length of 1315 meters, an arch span of 467 meters, and a staggering height of 359 meters above the riverbed; it holds the prestigious title of the world’s highest railway bridge.
The official further explained that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project is divided into four segments to efficiently manage its implementation and progress.
“Leg-1, covering a distance of 25 kilometers from Udhampur to Katra, was successfully completed and commissioned in July 2014. Leg-2, the final phase of the rail link project (USBRL), encompasses the 111-kilometer stretch from Katra to Banihal and is currently in progress, representing continuous efforts to enhance connectivity. Leg-3, extending 18 kilometers from Banihal to Qazigund, was completed and commissioned in June 2013. Finally, Leg-4, spanning a formidable 118 kilometers from Qazigund to Baramulla, was completed in three phases, with the last phase commissioned in October 2009,” the official stated.(KNO)
