Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, during his just concluded visit of Jammu and Kashmir said that the prestigious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project would be completed by the end of this year, or by January-February, 2024.
With the completion of the project, Kashmir would get connected with rest of the country by train. While an extensive network of railway is spread across the country, Kashmir till now has no rail connectivity with other parts of the country.
Right now the Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal railway line is operational. Hundreds of passengers daily utilise this rail service. They include government employees, students and others.
Connecting of the railway line with Udhampur will make a dream project, conceived several years back and being executed since then, a reality by the end of this year or January- February next year.
Presently, people in Kashmir travel outside either by road or by air. Once the USBRL is made operational, the dependence on road and air travel will get significantly reduced. Transportation of goods will also become easier. The rail link is likely to give boost to tourism and trade.
Before such a scenario emerges, the officials must further improve the condition of existing railway stations from Baramulla to Banihal. More facilities must be made available to the passengers. Even the condition of trains plying presently between Baramulla and Banihal must be made better.
Once the rail service starts from Kashmir to Udhampur, the facilities at railway stations and trains must be at par with that in other parts of the country.
That can make the travel more comfortable. The tourism sector can get further momentum once quality railway services are available. Surely these things must be in the mind of railway authorities and hopefully better facilities are also provided by them.
According to the Railway Minister, after the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line, a specially built Vande Bharat train will be introduced in this rail section.
Besides providing better railways related facilities in Kashmir, if there is a need for more railway stations here, those should be established so that more people get benefitted.
Keeping the railway stations and trains in good shape is also the responsibility of passengers.
USBRL was a very challenging project in many ways. It has the distinction of having world’s highest rail (arch) bridge, which has been constructed over Chenab at Bakkal-Kauri in Reasi district.