Trial run of 22-coach train on Srinagar-Katra line successful

Marking the first successful trial run on the newly completed rail line to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country, a 22-coach train chugged between Katra and Srinagar railway stations on Sunday. The train that reached Srinagar from Katra comprised 18 AC coaches, two luggage carriers and two engines. The train left Katra at around 8 am, successfully reaching its destination within four hours.

A railway official informed that this was the first trial run between Katra and Srinagar that came within six days after the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Dinesh Chand Deshwal, gave a go ahead for the opening of the newly constructed Broad Gauge line.

The CRS has given the authorisation for the start of public carriage of goods and passenger traffic to the ministry and railway authorities, based on his detailed inspection of the track on January 7 and 8. He referred to his inspection of the newly constructed BG line between the Katra and Reasi section by a motor trolley and on foot, followed by a speed trial on the entire section from Katra to Banihal.

He had then authorised regular opening of the section for passengers and freight traffic at a maximum permissible speed of 85 kmph on the main line and 15 kmph on turnout.

The work on the dream project to link Kashmir by train was started in 1997 and it missed several deadlines due to several geological, topographical and meteorological challenges.

Out of the total 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 km was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18 km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25 km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February last year.

The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi rail section was also completed in December 2024.