Jammu & Kashmir to get new Vande Bharat train on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link

Indian Railways has allocated the 49th Vande Bharat Express train to the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) in Jammu & Kashmir, as per reports.

The eight-car electric train is the Union Territories' first such train allotment.

The Northern Railway had last week successfully conducted a 15 km trial run of the USBRL between Banihal and Khari railways stations in the Ramban district.

Also Read | Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link: Railways shares progress work| Photos

J&K Link to Country

Earlier in March, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had announced that the USBRL will be completed by December 2023 or January 2024, and a Vande Bharat metro train will be operated between Jammu and Srinagar once the project is fully operational.

On March 26, Vaishnaw travelled on the first run of a track-mounted trolley on the Chenab River's world's highest arch bridge with railway officials and performed pooja before inspecting the iconic bridge with a height of 359 metres from the Chenab riverbed.

The minister also announced the establishment of a special training academy for engineers in Jammu and a Vande Bharat Express train maintenance facility at Budgam in the Kashmir Valley.

Also Read | India's longest escape tunnel on Banihal-Katra rail link completed: Top points

Once the Kashmir Valley is connected to the Indian railway network, the Jammu to Srinagar journey will be faster and more comfortable for passengers. The Jammu to Srinagar journey by the new railway link is expected to take 3.5 hours.

Vaishnaw said that a Vande Metro service will run between Srinagar and Jammu cities, in which trains will run at a specific frequency. He also stated that once the line is opened, it will be easier to transport apples and other agricultural products from Jammu and Kashmir. Additionally, a few locations have been identified to explore the tourism potential at the Chenab Bridge.

About USBRL

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link Project (USBRL) is 272 km-long. The rail project starts from Udhampur to Baramulla joining the Kashmir valley with the Indian Railways network under the USBRL.

This project involves 38 tunnels (combined length of 119 km), the longest tunnel (T-49) is 12.75 km long and is the country's longest transportation tunnel. There are 927 bridges (a combined length of 13 km). These bridges include the iconic Chenab Bridge (overall length of 1315 m, arch span of 467 m, and height of 359 m above river bed) which will be the highest railway bridge in the world.

Indian railway's first cable-stayed bridge is also being constructed on Anji Khad.