SRINAGAR: With freight movement already rolling through the newly connected Kashmir Valley, a landmark moment in India’s infrastructure history is set for June 6, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off the first Vande Bharat trains on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL), finally completing the 42-year journey to link the region with the rest of the country by rail.
Currently, cargo trains are already operating on the route based on seasonal requirements. Goods trains from Baramulla to key destinations like New Delhi and Mumbai are expected to run regularly, along with military specials as needed. Special trains for Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrims are also under consideration, particularly for times when the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway gets blocked during monsoon rains.
The symbolic milestone will be marked by Modi’s visit to the iconic Chenab Rail Bridge in Reasi district, the highest railway bridge in the world, standing taller than the Eiffel Tower. From here, he will travel by train to Katra, stopping en route at India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge over the Anji Khad.
At Anji Bridge, the Prime Minister is expected to interact with engineers, workers, and retired personnel who helped execute the massive infrastructure project under extreme conditions. This segment, the final piece of the puzzle, connects the 63-kilometre Katra-Sangaldan stretch, the last leg awaiting formal inauguration.
From Katra, Modi will flag off two Vande Bharat trains: one to Baramulla and another in the reverse direction. While he won’t travel to the Valley for the launch, both trains will begin operations on the same day, and their schedules are expected to be finalised soon.
The government aims to hold the inauguration ahead of the first anniversary of Modi’s third term, on June 9. Security across Reasi and Katra has been significantly stepped up for the visit.
For now, passengers will have to disembark at Katra and switch trains for onward travel to Srinagar or vice versa. Direct trains from Delhi to Kashmir are not yet operational. Officials say this is because of the ongoing expansion of the Jammu Railway Station, including an increase in the number of platforms. The work is expected to conclude by August or September, after which Jammu will serve as the new origin and destination station for Kashmir-bound trains.
The possibility of extending long-distance services like the Jammu Mail or Jhelum Express to Baramulla is also under consideration, though no decision has been finalised yet.
Railway officials stress that the phased opening ensures better operational readiness and security. Earlier plans for direct Vande Bharat trains into the Valley were revised due to logistical and security concerns, drawing criticism from Kashmiri leaders who said the move diluted the project’s intent of seamless integration.
The USBRL project, spanning 272 kilometres from Udhampur to Baramulla, has taken four decades to complete. First proposed in 1983 under Indira Gandhi’s government, it languished until the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government declared it a national project in 2002.
So far, 209 kilometres have been opened in stages: Qazigund-Baramulla in 2009, Banihal-Qazigund in 2013, Udhampur-Katra in 2014, and Banihal-Sangaldan in 2023. The last stretch between Reasi and Katra — just 17 kilometres — was completed earlier this year, allowing for safety and speed trials.
The USBRL cost is pegged at over Rs 43,000 crore, of which Rs 35,000 crore was spent on the mountainous and technically demanding Katra-Banihal section, which includes more than 90 per cent tunnels and bridges.
In a significant administrative upgrade, Indian Railways has made Jammu a standalone railway division — the 70th in the country — under Northern Railways. The Jammu Division will now manage several sections carved out from the historic Firozpur Division, strengthening local governance and response mechanisms in one of India’s most strategic regions.
The completion of the USBRL and its integration into the country’s premium Vande Bharat network represents not only a technological triumph but a powerful political and symbolic moment, uniting Kashmir more firmly with the rest of India through the steel and rhythm of a railway line long in the making.
