Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the landmark Kashmir railway project on June 6 during his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir following Operation Sindoor, official sources said on Tuesday.
A top railway official told news agency JKNS that PM Modi will formally dedicate the Chenab Rail Bridge to the nation an iconic component of the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL), which now directly links Kashmir with the rest of the country.
After commissioning the Chenab Bridge, the Prime Minister is expected to board a train to Katra, during which he will inspect the country’s first cable-stayed rail bridge constructed over Anji Khad. Officials confirmed to JKNS that Modi will also interact with engineers and retired railway personnel who played key roles in executing the challenging project.
At Katra the gateway to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine PM Modi will flag off two Vande Bharat trains, one from Katra to Baramulla and another on the return route. This move will mark the operational completion of the Kashmir rail link.
However, officials said that passengers travelling to and from Kashmir will still be required to switch trains at Katra, even though the network is now connected end-to-end.
Following the railway flag-off, Prime Minister Modi is also expected to address a large public gathering at Katra, officials confirmed.
The USBRL project, first initiated in 1997, faced multiple delays over the years due to difficult terrain, geological and weather-related hurdles, eventually pushing the total cost of the project to over ₹41,000 crore.
Of the 272 km network, 209 km has been commissioned in various stages starting with the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla stretch in 2009, followed by the 18 km Banihal-Qazigund segment in 2013, the 25 km Udhampur-Katra in 2014, and the 48.1 km Banihal-Sangaldan section in early 2024.
The remaining 46 km Sangaldan-Reasi stretch was completed in June 2024, while the final 17 km section from Reasi to Katra was wrapped up by December 2024, as confirmed by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the time.
The 119 km of the entire track runs through tunnels and has been equipped with advanced CCTV surveillance to ensure passenger safety throughout the route. (JKNS)
