Jammu: The Railways is conducting safety inspections of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) to pave the way for the first direct train from the national capital Delhi to Kashmir. The historic journey is planned for January 26, 2025, with officials saying that a trial run is expected to begin soon.
On Monday, an expert team from the Commission of Railway Safety visited different areas and went up to Banihal to inspect the railway line to clear the rail route for the trial run, they said. Last week, the final track work in the T-33 tunnel on the foothills of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, connecting Katra to Reasi districts, was completed.
“For the preliminary inspection of the railway line, the team today visited different areas of the Reasi district up to Banihal, including the world’s highest railway bridge on the Chenab River,” an official of Northern Railways told ETV Bharat. “It will be visiting recently completed tunnels between Katra and Reasi tomorrow and examining the track, tunnelling, lighting, and other things,” he said.
After the preliminary inspection, the commission will conduct a detailed tour to examine the railway line and will likely give the go-ahead for the trial run of the engine, the official said.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Northern Railways, RK Rana, said the commission will be conducting several visits to make sure that the railway line is fit for running the train. “We are hopeful to run the train on January 26, 2025, once the expert team gives the approval,” he added.
Moreover, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw is also expected to visit the area to take a firsthand account of the situation and safety checks being conducted. He is expected to visit Jammu around Christmas, but the date hasn’t been yet finalised.
At present, cleaning of tunnels and tracks is going on, whereas officials of railways are also ensuring that everything, including lighting, signals, and platforms in different places, is in working condition.
The direct train to Kashmir from the national capital will mark the beginning of a new era and will be a dream come true for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, who otherwise have to conduct arduous journeys through National Highway 44 by passing through difficult terrain. The train service will not only provide people easy access to other parts of the country, but it will also bring goods at lower rates to Kashmir from outside once the goods train also starts.
Already, the train service has reached Katra in the Reasi district, which became a reality in 2014. Before that, Udhampur was connected in 2005, and before that, in 1972, Jammu was connected by rail from Pathankot in Punjab. In the Kashmir Valley, local trains are moving from Baramulla to Qazigund, and beyond that, the local train service is up to the Sangaldan area of the Ramban district.
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