Priyanka Tiwari
Share
Suspense crime, Digital Desk : The construction of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) started in the year 1997, and it has an overall length of 272 kilometers. The 55 kilometer section from Udhampur to Jammu was completed in April 2005.
Nothern Railways mentioned that the project was completed phasewise. The last phase of the project was inaugurated on June 6, 2025 by the Prime Minister Modi.
Milestones Achievements of USBRL
When the Jammu-Udhampur section was completed, the attention turned to the Kashmir region. In the month of October 2008, the rail segment from Anantnag to Mazhom (an total of 68 kilometers) was completed.
The Mazhom-Baramulla section with a distance of 32 kilometers was completed by Feburary 2009, which allowed local trains to operate between Anantnag and Baramulla. The Anantnag-Quazigund line was constructed later in October 2009.
An important development took place in June 2013 with the intorduction of train services from Quazigund to Banihal. This has the addition of the Pir Pnjal railway tunnel which is 11.215 km long.
Final Links And Completion
As for the Udhampur-Katra portion started functioning in July 2014, the southern part offers rail connectivity from Baramulla to Banihal in Kashmir and from Katra to Jammu in the northern part.
The gap between Banihal and Katra remained incomplete. The Modi government took care of this in two steps: from Banihal to Sangaldan in February 2024 and from Sangaldan to Katra in June 2025.
Engineering Problems and Accomplishments
This portion includes other difficult tunnels as well as the Chenab Bridge and Anji Bridge which are the final additions to the belt.
In addition, other complex structures were completed from the past eleven years to finish the project. Along with other structures, an astounding achievement is the 12.75 km long tunnel between Banihal and Sangaldan. This is now the longest operational railway tunnel in India.
Read More: Shashi Tharoor Shares Insights from State Dinner Hosted for Vladimir Putin in New Delhi
