WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: The inauguration of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is all set to be inaugurated in the first week of February, officials have said.
An official communiqué in this regard has been issued to officials, wherein Northern Railways North circle has asked Northern Railways Firozpur division to arrange to move both USBRL Vande Bharat Rakes from Shakurbasti Delhi to Budgam in the morning of January 24 and January 25, 2025, for trial between Shri Mata Vishno Devi Katra and Budgam.
Meanwhile, sources said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the Vande Bharat train to Kashmir in the first week of February. Sources further said PM Modi will travel to Chenab (highest railway bridge) from where he will fly to Katra and will flag off the train connecting Kashmir to other parts of the country.
Last week, Railway authorities conducted a 22-bogie train trail run on the Katra-Budgam track on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
The train, comprising 18 AC coaches, two luggage carriers and two engines, left the Katra railway station at around 8 am, successfully reaching its destination within four hours under the watchful eyes of the railway authorities.
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 section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra. And this section was finally completed in December 2024 as announced by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on the Katra-Banihal section. The railways have conducted six trials over the past month on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.
