Kashmir Rail Link: Bridging Mountains and Milestones

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project, initiated in 1997, took nearly three decades to fully operationalize. It aimed to connect Kashmir to India's rail network, completing the critical Banihal-Katra section in 2025. Key infrastructure includes the Chenab Bridge and India's longest rail tunnel between Banihal and Sangaldan.

After almost three decades, the ambitious 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project has reached its full operational capability, establishing a vital rail connection through some of India's most challenging terrains.

Initially launched in 1997, the project's first operational segment, the Jammu-Udhampur section, was completed in 2005. Over the years, several phases followed, enabling connectivity from Baramulla to Anantnag by 2009 and subsequently extending services to Banihal by 2013.

The final segment, bridging Banihal to Katra, was realized in two phases, culminating in 2025. Noteworthy engineering feats include the construction of the Chenab and Anji Bridges and the country's longest rail tunnel between Banihal and Sangaldan. The project marks a major infrastructural triumph, connecting Kashmir to the rest of India's rail network.

(With inputs from agencies.)