PM Modi inaugurates railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated key railway projects worth over Rs 16,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir. These include a 48.1 kilometres (kms) portion of the new rail line under Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL). The Banihal - Khari - Sumber - Sangaldan section costed Rs 15,863 crore and includes the country's longest railway tunnel spanning 12.77 kms.

In all, 220 projects worth Rs 32,000 crore underwent laying of foundation stone, inauguration, and dedication to the nation by PM Modi on Tuesday.

An official statement said these projects will bring all-weather transport, replacing unreliable mountainous roads and footpaths.


PM Modi also flagged off the first electric train in the valley from Baramulla Station. The inaugural run of the service is from the Srinagar station. Another service between Sangaldan and Baramulla station was also started.

This was made possible by electrification of the 185.66 route kilometre (RKM) Baramulla - Srinagar - Banihal - Sangaldan section costing Rs 470.23 crore.

USRBL project spreads over 272 kms and costs Rs 41,119 crore. It is sub-divided into four legs for focused execution, of which three were completed by 2014. Work is presently underway only on the 111 kms Katra - Banihal section. According to a progress report, 97.4 kms (87%) of this section involves tunnelling. Further, 48 out of the 49 bridges are complete. These will be seven stations in this section with four in Reasi district and three in Ramban.

(The reporter is in Srinagar on invite of the Railways Ministry)