Latest news with #USBRL
NDTV
3 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
600 Kilometres In 18 Hours: First Freight Train Reaches Kashmir's Anantnag
The first freight train arrived in the Kashmir Valley on Saturday as the Northern Railway opened its Anantnag goods shed under its larger Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project for the movement of goods, officials said. The train with 21 BCN wagons loaded with cement reached the Anantnag goods shed from Rupnagar, Punjab, they said. The journey spanning approximately 600 km culminated at the newly-commissioned goods shed in less than 18 hours, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network, the officials added. The goods shed is equipped to handle both incoming and outgoing freight, offering a new and efficient transport option for businesses across Kashmir, a major step towards enhancing economic activity in the Valley, they said. The opening of Anantnag for goods traffic also comes at a time when the Valley has achieved full railway connectivity from Katra to Srinagar, including the historic completion of the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River. First freight train to the Kashmir valley: - Today (9.8.2025) first freight train reached newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley from Punjab, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. - Transportation… — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 9, 2025 These developments are expected to transform logistics and trade dynamics for the entire region, the officials said. The goods shed will operate daily from 6 am to 10 pm, handling all types of goods, except petroleum products. The officials said the key benefits include better market access for Kashmir's products such as horticulture, handicrafts, and fresh produce, and lower transportation costs for local businesses and traders. It will also provide improved logistics and faster delivery, especially during the winter season when road transport is often disrupted, and strengthen Kashmir's economic ties with markets across the country, they said.
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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
J-K's Anantnag gets first freight train as USBRL Banihal-Katra route opens
In a historic milestone for Kashmir's transportation network, Northern Railways will witness the arrival of the first loaded freight train at Anantnag Railway Station. This landmark event marks the operational debut of the newly commissioned Banihal-Sangaldan-Reasi-Katra section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. With this development, the Kashmir rail network is now seamlessly integrated with the Indian Railways freight corridor, enabling the direct movement of goods from across the country into the Valley. This development is set to boost economic activity by creating new trade opportunities, reducing transportation costs for businesses and essential commodities, ensuring year-round supply delivery despite weather challenges, and strengthening regional connectivity within the national rail framework. First freight train to the Kashmir valley: - Today (9.8.2025) first freight train reached newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley from Punjab, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. - Transportation… — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 9, 2025 Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of total length 272 Km has been recently commissioned. USBRL project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir. The USBRL project is one of the most difficult new railway line projects undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. In this project, Railway has made the world's highest Railway Bridge over Chenab river in Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1315 m long having an arch span of 467 m and height of 359 m above river bed. Indian Railway's first cable-stayed bridge has been constructed over Anji Khad in this project. Its bridge deck is 331m above the river bed level and height of its Main pylon is 193m. Great day for commerce and connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir! It will enhance both progress and prosperity. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 9, 2025 The USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact. The project has generated more than 5 Cr. man-days of employment. Another crucial facet of the USBRL Project's socio-economic development efforts has been the construction of over 215 km of approach roads, which include construction of a tunnel and 320 small bridges. This road network has helped the local population in improvement of their connectivity with other areas and also improvement in socio-economic states. In accordance with international norms, adequate safety provisions have been kept in the USBRL project. All tunnels having length more than 2 Km have been provided with mechanical ventilation systems to ensure air quality. Firefighting systems comprising fire hydrants and fire extinguishers have been provided to promptly address and contain potential fire incidents in all the tunnels. Further, to ensure the safety of passengers, escape tunnels have also been made where the length of the tunnel is more than 3 Km. A total of 66 Km escape tunnels have been made in this project. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
News18
4 days ago
- Business
- News18
First Freight Train Reaches Kashmir Valley, Promises Lower Costs, Better Connectivity
The first freight train arrived at Anantnag Goods Shed from Punjab, connecting Kashmir Valley to India's national freight network, reducing costs and boosting the economy. In a landmark moment for Jammu and Kashmir's connectivity, the first freight train rolled into the newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed on Saturday, arriving from Punjab. This development marks a major step in integrating the Kashmir Valley with India's national freight network. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw posted a video of the freight train on X, saying that the launch of freight operations to the Valley will significantly reduce transportation costs, providing economic relief to citizens and businesses in the region. 'First freight train to the Kashmir valley: – Today (9.8.2025), the first freight train reached the newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley from Punjab, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network. – Transportation by the railway network will reduce the cost for our citizens living in the Kashmir valley," Vaishnaw posted on X. First freight train to the Kashmir valley:– Today (9.8.2025) first freight train reached newly commissioned Anantnag Goods Shed in the Kashmir Valley from Punjab, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir region to the national freight network.– Transportation… — Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) August 9, 2025 This landmark event marks the operational debut of the newly commissioned Banihal-Sangaldan-Reasi-Katra section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. This milestone seamlessly connects the Kashmir rail network to the Indian Railways freight corridor, allowing goods from across the country to be transported directly into the Valley. Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of a total length of 272 Km has been recently commissioned. USBRL project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir. The USBRL project is one of the most difficult new railway line projects undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. In this project, the Railway has made the world's highest Railway Bridge over the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1315 m long, having an arch span of 467 m and a height of 359 m above the river bed. Indian Railways' first cable-stayed bridge has been constructed over the Anji Khad in this project. Its bridge deck is 331m above the river bed level, and the height of its Main pylon is 193m. (With inputs from ANI) view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
India.com
4 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Worlds Highest Bridge Connects Kashmir: First Freight Train Reaches Anantnag, USBRL Section Operational
In an historic milestone for the transport infrastructure of Jammu and Kashmir, the inaugural loaded freight train rolled into Anantnag Railway Station on Saturday, signaling the operational start of the pivotal Banihal-Sangaldan-Reasi-Katra segment of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. This historical development effectively brings the Kashmir rail network into the larger Indian Railways freight corridor, ensuring the ease of movement of goods from anywhere in the country directly into the Valley. This new connectivity will effectively give the region's economy a major fillip through opening of new trade routes, lowering logistics costs for companies, assuring delivery of essential commodities throughout the year irrespective of weather, and consolidating regional connections into the national rail system. The 272-kilometer long USBRL project, now almost commissioned, traverses Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, and Baramulla districts of the Jammu and Kashmir region. Termend as one of the most difficult railway line projects executed in post-independence India, the course winds through the geologically intricate young Himalayas. A marvel of engineering, the project features the world's tallest railway bridge on the Chenab river in Reasi district, which is 359 meters high above the river bed and measures 1315 meters in length. Further, India's first cable-stayed bridge has been built across Anji Khad with a bridge deck at 331 meters above the river bed. Apart from its engineering achievements, the USBRL project has also made large socio-economic impacts. It has provided more than 5 crore man-days of employment and consisted of the construction of over 215 kilometers of approach roads, featuring a tunnel and 320 small bridges. The vast network of roads has greatly enhanced local connectivity and socio-economic status of the people. With safety as the top priority, the USBRL project follows global standards. Mechanical air quality ventilation systems are provided for tunnels over 2 kilometers in length and firefighting systems. Escape tunnels, an aggregate of 66 kilometers, have been designed for all principal tunnels over 3 kilometers in length for the safety of passengers. Emergency services in Jammu and Kashmir remain on standby, with restoration work constant in the face of continued rain. The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has appealed to people to exercise caution and refrain from unnecessary travel, particularly in areas prone to landslides.
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
Ensured minimum disturbance while building Chenab, Anji bridges: LS told
To ensure minimum disturbance to Himalayan ecology, due care was taken for slope stabilisation and the best institutes were roped in for execution of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, including Chenab and Anji Bridge, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday. On questions whether the government has conducted any environmental impact assessments of the Chenab and Anji Khad bridges in fragile Himalayan zones, the Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw provided an elaborate response on Environmental Impact Assessments of the project. Vaishnaw said that Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project having a total length of 272 km has been recently commissioned and it covers Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla districts. The USBRL project is one of the most difficult new railway line projects undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems, he said. The minister added that in this project, the Indian Railways have made the world's highest Rail Bridge over Chenab river in Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir. The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1,315 meters long having an arch span of 467 meters and height of 359 meters above river bed. Indian Railway's first cable-stayed bridge has been constructed over Anji Khad in this project. Its bridge deck is 331 meters above the river bed level and height of its Main pylon is 193 meters, he informed the Lok Sabha. Talking about its social significance, Vaishnaw stated that the USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact as the project has generated more than 5 crore man-days of employment. To ensure minimum disturbance to Himalayan ecology, due care has been taken for slope stabilisation and the best institutes of the world were roped in for execution of this project. Comprehensive schemes for slope stabilisation have been adopted as per NEERI guidelines and Detailed Design Consultants' suggestions to prevent erosion and damage to natural terrains, Vaishnaw said. He added, Slope stability at Chenab Bridge was designed by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore & IIT/Delhi. Other global firms having experience of such works were also engaged for independent check for slope stability for Chenab Bridge. Slope stability at Anji Bridge was also designed and proof checked by experienced global firms, the Railway minister said. Outlining the project's environmental measures, he said, Further, Environmental Impact Assessments due to construction of Katra-Qazigund new rail line, including Chenab and Anji Khad bridges have also been conducted through National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur. Extensive safeguards and mitigation measures have been implemented based on the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) prepared by NEERI, he said. Sedimentation tanks have been constructed at tunnel outlets before discharging into natural nallas to manage tunnel excavated material. Alternative water sources were provided to villages where natural sources were disrupted by resorting to reverse pumping, Vaishnaw said. Proper lined drains and stepped chutes were constructed at required locations to ensure smooth flow of surface water and prevent erosion at muck yards, he added. According to the Railway Minister, advanced techniques of controlled blasting were adopted during tunnelling to minimize vibrations and environmental damage. Sensors have been installed in all tunnels in the Katra-Banihal section to monitor the Air Quality during the operational phase also, he said. The entire rail project is electrified using an overhead conductor system in tunnels and in open stretches. Rail transportation is the most environment friendly transportation mode, significantly reducing carbon footprint compared to diesel traction, he added. He also highlighted that the specific measures for biodiversity conservation are delineated in the EMP, the overall environmental mitigation efforts contribute to protecting local ecology. Guidelines for site preparation for plantation activity on dumping sites include planting native species and turfing with grass for eco-restoration, Vaishnaw said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
