Srinagar- The government of India has made significant efforts to expand the railway network in Jammu and Kashmir, and the work is ongoing to connect more districts in the valley to the rest of the country.
This was stated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Communication, and Electronic & Information Technology, during a session in the Lok Sabha recently.
In response to inquiries regarding the measures taken to extend the Indian Railways network in J&K, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the expansion of the rail line in J&K is benefiting the local community and businesses by improving transportation and connectivity, boosting tourism, and facilitating the movement of goods and services.
“It’s a positive development for the region,” the Minister said.
Notably, the Udhampur-Baramulla rail link (USBRL) project, which is nearing completion, will enable the first direct train connection between Jammu and the valley this winter. The government said, out of the total 272 Km of USBRL, 161 KM has already been commissioned. The work on the Katra-Banihal section, which spans 111 km has been taken up.
The Minister said the anticipated cost of the project is Rs 37,012 crore, against which, expenditure of Rs 34,261 crore has been incurred up to March, 2023. Additionally, an outlay of Rs 5,310 crore has been allocated for the year 2023-24.
“USBRL project has been the most difficult railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence,” the Minister said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.
The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous challenges. This section predominantly involves tunneling, with 97.42 km out of 111 km (87%) of the Katra-Banihal section’s length being in tunnels. The maximum length of Tunnel T-49 is 12.77 km, making it the longest transportation railway tunnel in the country.
The government maintained that the USBRL Project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact.
“The project has generated more than 553 lacs man-days of indirect employment so far,” the Minister said.
He said that, to promote rail-based tourism, Indian Railways issued the ‘Bharat Gaurav Trains’ policy in November 2021. Under this policy, theme-based tourist circuit trains are being operated with the objective of showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places.
As per this policy, service providers have full flexibility to decide the themes and itineraries for operation of Bharat Gaurav tourist circuit trains which may include tourist circuits of any part of India including Jammu and Kashmir based on market demand, commercial viability etc,” the Minister said in response to the question.
The Minister further added that at present, 9 pairs of trains are running over the Kashmir valley section due to which travel time of passengers has been reduced and travel experience has also become more comfortable than bus services. The passenger services and facilities are being improved by major redevelopment of Jammu Tawi railway station. “To enhance the travel experience of passengers, a Vistadome coach is attached to a special train being run over Kashmir Valley,” he said.
“Catering services to the passengers travelling in trains are provided through pantry cars /mini pantry, train side vending and static units at en-route stations. In addition to this, passengers also have the facility to order food of their choice through e- catering services which are available at major en- route stations.”
The Minister went on to explain that, alongside the USBRL, Final Location Surveys (FLS) have been approved for several lines. These include the doubling of the Baramulla-Banihal section covering 135.5 km, a new 50 km line from Baramulla to Uri, a 33.7 km new line connecting Sopore to Kupwara, a new 27.6 km line from Awantipora to Shopian, and a 77.5 km new line from Anantnag to Pahalgam via Bijbehara.
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