New Delhi: After nearly 28 years of construction, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is now fully operational, connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India through a 272-km railway corridor that spans some of the country’s toughest terrains and highest-altitude engineering marvels.
Phased Completion Over the Years
Started in 1997, the USBRL project was executed in multiple phases:
- Jammu–Udhampur (55 km): Completed in April 2005
- Anantnag–Mazhom (68 km): Operationalised in October 2008
- Mazhom–Baramulla (32 km): Opened in February 2009, giving Kashmir its first major internal rail connectivity
- Anantnag–Qazigund: Extended by October 2009
- Qazigund–Banihal (incl. Pir Panjal tunnel, 11.2 km): Inaugurated in June 2013
- Udhampur–Katra (25 km): Became operational in July 2014
By 2014, train services ran between Baramulla and Banihal in the Kashmir Valley, and between Jammu and Katra on the Jammu side.
The missing link, between Banihal and Katra, was the most complex and challenging, involving extensive tunneling and the construction of iconic bridges.
Final Stretch Completed Under Modi Government
A Northern Railway official explained:
“The Modi government completed the missing Banihal–Katra link in two phases—Banihal to Sangaldan in February 2024 and Sangaldan to Katra on June 6, 2025—finally connecting Kashmir to the Indian Railways network.”
This last stretch includes:
- The Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge
- The Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge
- India’s longest operational railway tunnel: 12.75 km between Banihal and Sangaldan
Engineering Triumphs and Strategic Significance
The project encountered numerous natural and technical challenges, including difficult Himalayan terrain, seismic zones, and extreme weather. Over the past 11 years, multiple breakthrough infrastructure milestones were achieved.
Railway officials hailed the USBRL as one of the most complex and strategically important rail infrastructure projects in India’s history, not only for its connectivity but also for enhancing socio-economic integration of the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India.