SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Railways has withdrawn the proposed Baramulla-Uri new railway line and the Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam railway doubling project in Jammu and Kashmir after both proposals were returned by the Cabinet Secretariat, according to a communication issued by the ministry.
In its communication to the General Manager of Northern Railway, the Ministry of Railways said the two proposals had been returned by the Cabinet Secretariat and were no longer under consideration.
The projects comprised a proposed 40-kilometre Baramulla-Uri new railway line and the proposed doubling of the Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam section, covering 118 kilometres. A copy of the communication was also forwarded to the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction)/USBRL, Northern Railway, Jammu.
The withdrawal follows the preparation of Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for both proposals. In February, the Railway Ministry had stated that DPRs had been prepared for the 118-kilometre Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam doubling project and the 40-kilometre Baramulla-Uri new line to strengthen railway connectivity in the border region.
At the time, the ministry had clarified that preparation of a DPR did not constitute final approval of a railway project. It said such projects required consultations with stakeholders and necessary clearances, including appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.
The Baramulla-Uri line was proposed as an extension of the existing railway network towards Uri, while the doubling project was intended to increase capacity on the existing railway corridor in the Kashmir Valley.
Both proposals had earlier been notified by the Centre as Special Railway Projects under the Railways Act in July 2026, according to Gazette-tracking records.
The latest decision represents a change from the position stated in April, when Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Uri-Baramulla railway line was at the planning and DPR stage. At the time, doubling work between Qazigund and Baramulla had also been described as underway.
The Baramulla-Uri proposal had also been raised in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, where a private member’s resolution called for an independent geological, geotechnical and seismic assessment of the proposed alignment before the project could proceed further.
