SRINAGAR: Dilli-Kashmir train connectivity will have to wait for more months as the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, intended to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country through a railway network, is facing a delay, pushing its inauguration to July due to infrastructural hurdles.
The USBRL project, spanning 272 kilometres, initially aimed for a significant launch, possibly introducing the Vande Bharat Express from Udhampur to Baramulla via the Chenab Bridge, the tallest rail bridge globally at a height of 359 meters and spanning 1,315 meters.
While Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently inaugurated an electrified railway line between Baramulla and Sangaldan, infrastructural obstacles continue to impede the full realisation of the USBRL project.
Initially aiming for a grand launch, with hopes of potentially introducing the Vande Bharat Express traversing from Udhampur to Baramulla via the iconic Chenab Bridge, the Indian Railways now faces a setback in its plans. The network, spanning 272 kilometres was slated for inauguration by February. However, the ongoing tunnelling work around the Chenab Bridge, has contributed to the delay.
“While the Chenab Bridge, which stands at a height of 359 metres, and taller than the height of Eiffel Tower is ready, the tunnelling work in tunnels around the bridge is still under progress. The entire route is now expected to be made operational in July later this year. The February deadline has been further pushed by a few more months,” a senior Railways official was quoted by The Hindu newspaper.
