Srinagar, Jul 23 (KNO): The 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is nearing completion and is expected to be finished by the end of this year, connecting Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
Official sources informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that most of the work on the USBRL project has been completed, with the remaining tasks including a 3.2 km tunnel between Katra and Reasi currently in progress.
"The USBRL project is anticipated to be completed by or before December this year. Work on the 3.2 km Tunnel Number 1, located between the Katra and Reasi section, is ongoing," they said.
The USBRL project is a vital railway infrastructure initiative designed to link the northernmost part of India with the broader Indian rail network. The project involves navigating the challenging terrain of the lesser Himalayas, presenting significant engineering difficulties due to its rugged topography and geological complexities.
Officials said the USBRL project includes 38 tunnels with a total length of 119 km, featuring the country's longest transportation tunnel, Tunnel T-49, which stretches 12.75 km. The project also has 927 bridges spanning a combined length of 13 km. Among these is the iconic Chenab Bridge, which measures 1,315 meters in length, has an arch span of 467 meters, and stands 359 meters above the riverbed—making it about 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower and the world's highest arch railway bridge.
The Chenab Bridge is an engineering marvel made of steel and concrete, designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h and the highest intensity earthquake forces.
Currently, trains operate from Kanyakumari to Katra and from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley. With the track between Sangaldan and Reasi now ready, trains are expected to start running from Reasi to Baramulla in the second week of August.
"Several trial runs between Sangaldan and Reasi have been carried out successfully. The Commissioner of Railway Safety has also completed a safety trial on this track. Following a thorough inspection of the newly constructed Chenab Bridge, the world's highest rail bridge, the railways successfully conducted a trial run of an 8-coach MEMU train between Sangaldan in Ramban district and Reasi at a speed of 40 km/h last month," officials added—(KNO)