NEW DELHI: For the first time, the Indian Railways had to construct over 200 kilometres of roads to lay a 100 odd kilometres of new rail lines under the Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, connecting Katra to Srinagar through some of the most challenging Himalayan terrain, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday.
Initially built to transport materials, manpower, and machinery to the rail construction sites, the road has now become a valuable infrastructure, providing improved connectivity for residents in the terrain along the route between Jammu and Srinagar, he added.
In the process, the railways also made viable alternate sources of water available to more than 20 villages who had been dependent on the water from Himalayan mountain fountains. The water sources originating from the hilltops and flowing down to residential areas had been disrupted due to tunnel construction.
“But the railway made viable alternate ways over the top of the tunnels to ensure water supply to 20 villages, whose water sources from hilltops were disturbed due to the tunnel works,” he said.
The minister said the 111-km Katra-Banihal section was the most challenging part of the 271 km project, being regarded as the most difficult new rail line ever taken up in the country post-independence.
This section is also one of the world’s unique railway routes, having 25 tunnels covering over 97 km out of the total 111 km, including the longest tunnel, named T-50, Vaishnaw added.
Underscoring the challenges the railways had to face, Vaishnaw said, “Indian Railway has done the best for socio-economic development of hilly areas during the construction of new rail lines between Katra and Srinagar as part of the USBRL project. We have had to build 215 km of roads to transport materials, machinery, and manpower to lay down 111 km rail lines. It’s a record showing how this government has created infrastructure in J&K.”
The minister also explained challenges of the 111 km Katra-Banihal section, which connects Jammu and Srinagar, faced, including geological and topographical concerns.
This rail line also has a distinctive feature, as it is one of the few railway sections in which 97.42 km of the total length is covered by tunnels. India’s longest transportation tunnel, T-50, covering a distance of 12.77 km, is also located on this section, he said.
He also acknowledged that the railways faced numerous challenges during the construction of tunnels, including methane gas leakage during drilling. “Our engineers and workers brilliantly resolved the issue of underground methane gas leakage and successfully completed tunnel construction as part of this project. The project includes 49 bridges, of which four are mega bridges,” the minister said.
He said a new chapter was written in Indian Railway history with the successful “rising grade” speed trial in the challenging terrain from Jammu and Kashmir’s Katra to Banihal along the USBRL project.
Another notable feature of this project is the 67 km of escape tunnels and the entire length being built with ballast-less tracks.
The foundations of many of the bridges, including the iconic Chenab Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world, and the cable-stay bridge, have been strengthened using 3,000 tonnes of steel, equivalent to 6,000 trucks of steel. A central command centre equipped with the world’s most advanced technical facilities has been established for this section, the minister said.
He also claimed that 400 km of tunnels had been completed, which is a world record for Indian Railways over the last 10 years, from 2014 to 2024. “On this section, during heavy snowfall, a snow-remover train will operate ahead of the Vande Bharat and other trains, which will be introduced shortly between Jammu and Srinagar,” the minister said.