NEW DELHI: In a major development, the Ministry of Railways has sanctioned critical slope stabilisation, tunnel rehabilitation and bridge protection works on the Jammu–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra section of Northern Railway at an estimated cost of Rs 238 crore.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the approved works demonstrate the Government’s commitment to ensuring safe and dependable connectivity across some of the country’s most challenging terrain.
He further added that, following a comprehensive assessment of bridges and tunnels, a series of protection and rehabilitation measures had been cleared.
He also said that these initiatives will enhance the long-term safety and reliability of this strategically significant railway section.
Meanwhile, an official statement further added that the sanctioned works include slope stabilisation, rehabilitation measures, treatment of tunnel seepage problems, bridge protection works and other related safety interventions at vulnerable points along the Jammu–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra route.
The statement further highlighted that the section has long faced engineering and operational difficulties owing to rugged terrain, difficult geological conditions and extreme weather events.
Despite such challenges, Indian Railways has continued to address them through timely execution and the development of resilient infrastructure.
With the approval of the latest protection and rehabilitation measures for the existing infrastructure, the route is expected to become robust and dependable, offering enhanced safety and greater confidence to the millions of passengers who travel on it each year.