The final inspection of the Katra-Reasi section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) before the 15th of this month.
Indian Railways is expected to introduce a new Vande Bharat train and two Mail/Express trains for Jammu and Kashmir. These trains will operate between Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar railway stations and will be maintained by the Northern Railway zone.
The CRS inspection report will pave the way for running the train from Delhi to Srinagar, thereby completing the rail link from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Talking to Akashvani, Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Upadhyay outlined the progress on the remaining work on the USBRL project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to virtually inaugurate the Jammu Railway Division from New Delhi after a couple of days, marking a significant stride towards the connectivity of Kashmir with the rest of the country.
A senior official from the Ferozepur Division of Northern Railway told 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’s 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.
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.