The Union government has approved a new 40 km Baramulla-Uri rail line and doubling of the Qazigund to Badgam line to boost train connectivity in J&K. At present, Baramulla is the last railway station of the Indian Railways in the north of Kashmir valley. Beyond that also, there is heavy deployment of troops and all travel has to be done by road at a steep gradient in some sections.
The new section can be a game changer strategically as the train services will then be available almost till the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan, a senior railway official said. Incidentally, Uri had become a household name in September 2016 after Pakistani terrorists killed 18 Armymen there. The incident had then led to first publicly acknowledged across the LoC strikes by the Army called Surgical Strikes.
The two projects come weeks after the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) in June this year. Right now, two Vande Bharat trains run from Katra to Srinagar on almost daily basis. However, the rail services from Katra to different destinations all over India have been snapped these days due to damage to some bridges and rail tracks.
The doubling of the Qazigund to Budgam line will help ease traffic congestion on almost a parallel road stretch which has dense population. In fact, it is almost always full of passenger and goods carriers. This was one of the earliest railway lines in the Kashmir valley and had become hugely popular with the masses. The main reason being the speed of travel and affordability as compared to road travel, it is both faster and much cheaper.
In April 2003, then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had visited Srinagar and laid the foundation of some railway infrastructure. However, due to inclement weather, Vajpayee could no visit Qazigund as per plans at that time. Rail connectivity to the Kashmir valley had got a boost during earliest National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government tenures with Vajpayee pushing it forward in view of the strategic importance.
The projects were approved in the 99th meeting of the Network Planning Group (NPG) convened on Wednesday to evaluate infrastructure projects, an official statement from the Ministry of Commerce & Industry said.
Baramulla to Uri new Broad Gauge (BG) line will provide all-weather, reliable rail connectivity, addressing frequent disruptions faced by road travel during harsh weather.
Uri, located near the Line of Control (LoC) at Kaman Post, has already emerged as a border tourism destination. With the new railway line, tourism in the region is expected to receive a significant boost.
“The project also holds strategic importance as Baramulla and Uri Tehsil house major Indian Army establishments and lie close to the border,” the statement said, adding that the project will require fresh land acquisition.
The second project cleared for J&K is the doubling of the 74 km Qazigund–Badgam line.
“With the commissioning of the Katra–Banihal section in 2025, the corridor will be fully integrated with the Indian Railways network, offering huge potential for passenger and freight traffic,” the statement added.
This line also has strategic importance, allowing seamless movement of military special trains carrying Army personnel, equipment, and supplies.
“Doubling will increase capacity, reduce delays, and strengthen connectivity across the Valley. The project will also boost tourism and local economic activity, while ensuring faster, safer, and reliable logistics for defence needs. The proposal marks another step towards building a resilient and strategically vital railway network in Jammu & Kashmir,” the statement added.
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