SRINAGAR: Railway authorities have announced that the ambitious railway line connecting Katra to Sangaldan is set to be completed by June this year, with rapid progress being made on the project.
Presently, trains operate along the railway line from Kanyakumari to Katra, while services run from Baramulla to Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley. The impending connection between Katra and Sangaldan is poised to bridge the gap in rail connectivity, facilitating seamless travel from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
According to reports over the weekend, Railway Protection Force (RPF) Director General Manoj Yadav conducted an extensive inspection of the newly constructed railway line and stations between Banihal and Sangaldan in Ramban district.
Yadav, along with Northern Railway officials, commenced a special inspection upon arriving in Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day visit. They travelled to Banihal station from Srinagar via a rail car.
Reports suggest that Yadav proceeded to Khadi-Sumbad and Sangaldan railway stations, where he assessed the deployment and security arrangements of the Railway Protection Force.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, including the 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan section, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20. This ambitious endeavor, totaling 272 km, represents a significant milestone in India’s railway infrastructure development. Phase I of the project, covering the 118 km long Qazigund-Baramulla section, was inaugurated in October 2009. Subsequent phases saw the inauguration of the 18 km long Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013 and the 25 km long Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014—(KNO)
