Significant Milestone for Jammu and Kashmir's Rail Connectivity

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated a crucial segment of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. With this inauguration, Kashmir is now connected to the Indian railway network, operational throughout the year.

The vision for this connection dates back to 1884 when Maharaja Pratap Singh of Jammu and Kashmir urged his Prime Minister, Diwan Anant Ram, to write to the British Indian government. He proposed linking his state to the subcontinent's railway network. Although his dream was partially realized, it was lost due to the partition, and subsequent proposals never materialized. However, the third railway route he envisioned, which underwent initial surveys, has finally come to fruition after 141 years.

During the inauguration, Prime Minister Modi also unveiled the Chenab and Anji bridges, marking the integration of the long-isolated Kashmir rail line into India's national railway system. This achievement fulfills a century-old aspiration of the Maharaja. Vikramaditya Singh, the great-grandson of Maharaja Pratap Singh, expressed pride in the realization of this project, stating, 'The railway line's conception and design were first established during Maharaja Pratap Singh's reign. It is a matter of great pride for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire nation that our Prime Minister has made this dream a reality.'

The USBRL project commenced in 1997 and spans 272 kilometers, taking nearly 28 years to complete. The first 55-kilometer segment between Jammu and Udhampur was finished in April 2005.

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River, constructed at a cost of ₹1,486 crores.

According to Northern Railway, the entire project was completed and operationalized in phases. After the Jammu-Udhampur segment was opened, the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government focused on the Kashmir sections, launching the 68-kilometer Anantnag-Mazhom rail link in October 2008. A Northern Railway official noted that the 32-kilometer Mazhom-Baramulla rail link began operations in February 2009, allowing locals to travel by train from Baramulla to Anantnag by that year.

The official added that as work continued on other segments, the railway was able to extend train services from Anantnag towards Jammu, reaching Qazigund by the end of October 2009. A significant milestone was achieved in June 2013 when train services were extended from Qazigund to Banihal, which included the construction of the 11.215-kilometer Pir Panjal tunnel.

In July 2014, the Udhampur-Katra line was opened from Jammu. According to a railway source, when the Modi government came to power, train services were operational from Baramulla to Banihal and from Katra to Jammu. Connecting Banihal to Katra was essential to integrate Kashmir into the national rail network.

The Modi administration completed the Banihal to Katra link in two phases, first operationalizing the segment from Banihal to Sangaldan in February 2024, followed by the Sangaldan to Katra segment on June 6, 2025, thus completing this vital connection. Northern Railway noted that the Banihal to Katra section includes the Chenab and Anji bridges, along with some of the most challenging and longest tunnels.