Rail link vision that spans a century

After decades of relentless effort, the railway line linking Jammu with Kashmir has finally been completed. At the heart of this historic project stands the Chenab bridge near Katra, an engineering marvel. Yet, behind every milestone lies a vision.

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The first railway line in British India was opened in 1853 (Bombay to Thane). By the late 19th century, the railway network was spreading rapidly. The Dogra rulers of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Maharaja Ranbir Singh (1856-1885) and then Maharaja Pratap Singh (1885-1925), realised the benefits of a rail line, as the Kashmir valley’s isolation mainly due to geographical hurdles was hurting its economic growth.

In the early 20th century, Pratap Singh, the third Dogra ruler of J&K, initiated preliminary surveys for a possible railway route linking Jammu to the Kashmir valley. British engineers and survey teams were involved in these efforts, though the project remained in its nascent stages due to the formidable challenges posed by the Pir Panjal range and the limitations of tunnelling technology at the time.

Projects to build a 46-mile light railway from Jammu to Kashmir and a 79-mile mono-steel-cableway from Jammu to Doru Shahabad were proposed, but did not come to fruition.

The Jammu-Sialkot rail line, built in 1890, became the first in J&K, connecting Jammu to Punjab province via Wazirabad Junction. For decades, this line served as a key conduit for trade and mobility. Today, one of its last surviving markers, the 125-year-old pre-Partition railway station at Ranbir Singh Pura (RS Pura), stands abandoned and crumbling.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several British engineers were commissioned to survey potential railway routes connecting Jammu to Kashmir. Engineering firm SR Scott Stratten and Co was engaged in 1898 to conduct surveys and execute the project. Additionally, engineers such as James Arthur Anderson, Boswell Parkinson Milsom, and Paget Patrick Dease from the Public Works Department were involved in the 1890 surveys. Herbert Septimus Harington also served as the Engineer-in-Chief for the Kashmir Railway Survey.

A portrait of Maharaja of J&K, Partap Singh, 1892. Photo courtesy: Dogra Archives and Museum

British government records at the National Archives of India provide insights into the feasibility studies and deliberations regarding the railway project. The ‘Kashmir Railway Survey, General Report’ by General de Bourbel in June 1890 discusses the challenges of constructing a rail line through the Pir Panjal range. Correspondence from officials like Louis W Dane and NJE Spring highlights the debates on route selection and the interplay between engineering feasibility and political considerations.

The survey anticipated the same alignment that is now being used in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line. Technical limitations (especially tunnelling) made the project impossible then. Today’s engineers owe a debt to those early surveys and ideas.

The possible routes surveyed were Jammu-Banihal-Srinagar via Banihal Pass (now the Pir Panjal tunnel route). Another possible route discussed was via Reasi-Gool-Banihal-Qazigund corridor — similar to the modern alignment. The Pir Panjal range was the major obstacle: building viaducts through it was considered too expensive with early 20th-century engineering.

While the British Raj acknowledged the strategic value of improved access to Kashmir, they were hesitant to commit to the substantial costs. The outbreak of World War I in 1914 further stalled the project. Maharaja Hari Singh, Pratap Singh’s successor, revisited the idea in the 1930s, commissioning updated surveys and exploring the involvement of Swiss tunnel engineers. However, political instability and the onset of World War II delayed the project.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the Indian government embarked on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link. This 272-km line, declared a national project in 2002, faced numerous challenges. The Chenab bridge, standing at 359 metres above the riverbed, is the world’s highest rail bridge. Designed to withstand high winds and seismic activity, it symbolises India’s engineering prowess. Anji Khad bridge is India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge.

Improved connectivity is expected to boost tourism and facilitate reliable transportation during the harsh winters when road travel becomes difficult. As the barriers fall, the Jammu-Kashmir railway line becomes more than just a feat of engineering; it stands as a profound metaphor for the region’s future.

— The writer is a columnist from J&K