Jammu: The Ministry of Railways has withdrawn two major proposed rail projects in Jammu and Kashmir—the Baramulla-Uri new railway line and the Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam doubling project—after the proposals were returned by the Cabinet Secretariat.
In a communication to the General Manager, Northern Railway, the ministry stated that the two projects “have been returned by Cabinet Secretariat and are no longer under consideration.” The communication has also been forwarded to the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), USBRL, Northern Railway, Jammu.
The move comes months after the Railways prepared DPRs for the projects. In February, the ministry had listed the 40-km Baramulla-Uri new line and 118-km Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam doubling among projects proposed to strengthen rail connectivity in the border region. It had, however, made clear that preparation of DPRs did not constitute final sanction and that the projects required stakeholder consultations and approvals from agencies including NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.
The Baramulla-Uri project was envisaged as an extension of the existing Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) towards Uri, while the doubling project was intended to augment capacity on the Kashmir Valley rail corridor.
The withdrawal marks a significant change from the position outlined by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in April, when the Uri-Baramulla extension was described as being at the planning and DPR stage, while doubling between Qazigund and Baramulla was stated to be underway.
The Baramulla-Uri alignment had also come under scrutiny in the J&K Legislative Assembly. A private member’s resolution moved by Baramulla MLA Javid Hassan Baig sought to keep the Kanispora-Khanpora/Sheeri stretch in abeyance pending an independent geological, geotechnical and seismic assessment.
The projects had even been notified as Special Railway Projects under the Railways Act earlier this year, making the latest withdrawal a notable reversal in their status.
The Railways has not publicly cited a specific reason for the Cabinet Secretariat’s decision. A senior railway official, however, indicated that issues such as utility requirements or availability of funds could have played a role, while stressing that the projects could be considered again in the future subject to requisite approvals.
