PM Modi to flag off first train to Kashmir on Friday: Here's why it is India's historic rail milestone
The stage is all set for the first-ever train to Kashmir. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will finally inaugurate the first Vande Bharat Express train to Kashmir on 6 June from Jammu after the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project.
This will be Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after 'Operation Sindoor' – India's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan launched on 7 May in response to the 22 April Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Modi will flag off the train services from the Shri at Vaishno Devi (SMVD) railway station in Katra, Jammu to Baramulla in north Kashmir. Modi will also flag off another train from Baramulla to Katra on the occasion.
Trains have been running between Banihal and Baramulla in the Kashmir valley, and between Jammu, Udhampur and Katra in Jammu region. But the 111-km Katra-Banihal section was the most difficult to construct owing to the challenging terrain.
Modi will also inaugurate the highest railway arch bridge over river Chenab and India's first cable-stayed Anji Khad bridge on the occasion. He is also expected to address a rally on the occasion.
Earlier, the inauguration of the much-awaited train was scheduled for 19 April, however, it was postponed dur to bad weather. Three days later Pahalgam terror attack happened in Kashmir.
The development will end over 70 years of wait for a direct train service to Kashmir linking the valley to rest of India first time throough a rail link. At present, trains are operational just between Sangaldan and Baramulla in the Valley and from Katra to across the country.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link (USBRL) Project was initially sanctioned in 1995 during the time of Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, at an estimated cost of ₹ 2,500 crore.
While the ambitious project to connect Kashmir by train began in 1997, it was commissioned in bits and parts and faced multiple delays due to geographical challenges posed by the terrain. However, it gained momentum after then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee designated it as a national initiative in 2002.
In 2009, Qazigund - Baramulla section in Kashmir was rendered operational, following which in 2013, the 18-km Banihal - Qazigund section, and in 2014 - the 24-km Udhampur - Katra section was started.
In 2023, the section between Banihal and Sangaldan was started and now the connectivity between Sangaldan and Katra, which is believed to be the most difficult of all sections has been completed.
The Banihal-Katra section contains 97 km of tunnels and 7 km of bridges.
In December 2024, Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Railways, said that the final track construction of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link was finished.
"Historic milestone; final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is complete. The ballastless track work for the 3.2 km-long Tunnel T-33, located at the foothills of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed today at 02:00 hrs," he wrote on X
The famous Chenab Bridge, the world's tallest railway bridge standing 359 meters above mean sea level, is also part of the track and will enhance the picturesque route connecting Jammu and Srinagar.
At an estimated cost of over ₹ 43,000 crore, the USBR Lproject involved laying out ballast less tracks over bridges and tunnels, spanning deep gorges, with 90 per cent of the route traversed over 943 bridges, and 36 main tunnels, including India's longest railway tunnel, T-50 stretching more than 12.7 km.
On the Katra - Banihal section, the train will also traverse another engineering marvel, the Anji Khad bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed bridge. Supported by 96 cables, the 725-meter-long bridge stands 331 meters above mean sea level.
For now, only one Kashmir-specific Vande Bharat train will ply on the Katra and Srinagar route to Baramulla. More trains will start plying on the route based on the public response, officials said.
Earlier a direct train from Delhi to Srinagar was expected. But due to security and weather reasons, the passengers would have to get down at the Katra railway station and board another train to continue the journey forward to Kashmir.
In February, Vaishnaw said that passengers who want to travel from Delhi to Srinagar can book one ticket and change the train at Katra railway. All passengers boarding the train to Srinagar from Delhi or vice versa or from any other part of the country would have to undergo thorough frisking.
Besides, their luggage would be screened at the time of boarding. The luggage would then undergo fresh scanning at departure lounges once the passengers get down at the Katra station. Before they board another train, they would again be subjected to frisking by the security personnel.
The trains will ply on the Kashmir route only during the daytime. No trains would ply during evening hours in the Valley.
The Kashmir version of Vande Bharat is equipped with climate-specific adaptations to provide advance heating systems in sub-zero temperatures, driver's front lookout glass embedded with heating elements for defrosting, and to ensure clear visibility during harsh winters.
The region's connectivity with the rest of the country would be improved with the completion of the USBRL Project and the launch of direct Vande Bharat trains between Kashmir and Delhi via Jammu. In addition to addressing logistical issues, this will boost economic expansion and encourage travel.
-The total cost of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link project is about ₹ 43,000 crore.
-The seamless all-weather connectivity links Kashmir Valley to the rest of India for the first time through a rail link.
-The connectivity will boost the local economy and trade by offering easier transport if local goods like apples, saffron and handicrafts to major Indian markets. Until now, these products had to be transported through Jammu and Kashmir Highway which gets affected by harsh weather during winters.
-The rail link will also improve access to popular destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam. Tourism in Kashmir Valley was severly affeceted after Pahalgam terror attack.
Historic milestone; final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is complete.
-Officials said that the project will also create employment opportunities in railway, tourism, and logistics sectors.
-Above all, it simplifies travel to major cities for medical care and universities.
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