Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-kilometer electrified railway corridor connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India. The project, valued at approximately ₹44,000 crore, includes 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, with notable structures such as the Chenab Bridge—the world’s highest railway arch bridge—and the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge.
As part of this initiative, PM Modi flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat Express trains connecting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar. These semi-high-speed trains are expected to reduce travel time between the two cities to approximately three hours, enhancing connectivity and boosting tourism and economic activities in the region.
The USBRL project is a significant achievement in Indian railway infrastructure, overcoming challenging Himalayan terrain to provide all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. The completion of this rail link is anticipated to transform regional mobility, stimulate economic growth, and integrate Jammu & Kashmir more closely with the rest of the country.
