Kashmir linked to national rail grid as USBRL project commissioned

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-km line that connects the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, has been formally commissioned. The project spans the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, said Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Following the commissioning, four Vande Bharat services, 26401/26402 and 26403/26404 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Srinagar, have been introduced. Six pairs of DEMU/MEMU services now operate in the Qazigund-Srinagar section, and five pairs cater to the Srinagar-Baramulla stretch.

The minister said year-round, reliable rail connectivity is expected to boost tourism in the Valley and ease the movement of apple produce and other goods. Transporting cement and essential commodities to Kashmir is also expected to become smoother with the full integration of the line into the national network.

To expand connectivity further, surveys for the Baramulla–Uri new line (46 km) and the Banihal-Baramulla doubling (118 km) have been completed, and Detailed Project Reports have been prepared. These will now move into inter-departmental consultations, including appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. The Railways noted that project sanctioning is an ongoing process and timelines depend on approvals from various stakeholders.