SRINAGAR: The Indian Army has successfully inducted tanks, artillery guns and heavy engineering equipment into the Kashmir Valley using a military special train, marking a significant logistics milestone and substantially enhancing its operational preparedness in the region.
The development was announced by the Army’s Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI), which said the induction was carried out on December 16 as part of a validation exercise to test the Valley’s newly established rail-based military logistics capability.
According to the Army, tanks, artillery guns and dozers were moved from the Jammu region to Anantnag in south Kashmir, demonstrating improved mobility and logistical reach in a terrain traditionally constrained by weather and road conditions. The Army said the exercise validated its ability to rapidly move men, machines and heavy equipment from the plains into the Valley and further onwards towards forward sectors.
The Army said the operation underscored enhanced logistical capability and faster build-up of combat readiness along the northern borders. It added that the milestone was achieved in close coordination with the Ministry of Railways, highlighting the transformative role of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
The 272-kilometre-long USBRL, built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June this year. The strategically critical rail line cuts through some of the most challenging Himalayan terrain and provides all-weather rail connectivity to the otherwise landlocked Kashmir Valley.
The Army had begun operational use of the rail link for logistics soon after its inauguration. In mid-September, it ferried 753 metric tonnes of advance winter supplies from Jammu to stock units and formations deployed across the Valley ahead of the harsh winter months. Officials had then said the move reduced dependence on road convoys, which are frequently disrupted by snowfall, landslides and avalanches.
Before the completion of the USBRL, the Army relied largely on road transport for logistical support to Kashmir, a process often slowed or halted during winter. Trains, officials said, offer a faster and more reliable alternative, especially for transporting heavy equipment such as tanks and artillery, which face speed and capacity limitations on mountain roads.
The latest induction exercise, the Army said, forms part of its ongoing capability development efforts to ensure sustained operational preparedness in the demanding Himalayan theatre.
