SRINAGAR: The land acquisition process for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has involved the procurement of more than 1,559 hectares of private land and 276 hectares of government land across eight districts in Jammu and Kashmir. Compensation totalling Rs 816.21 crore has been deposited with the respective Collector Land Acquisition (CLA) offices, with legal provisions in place to address any pending or disputed claims, according to details tabled in LokSabha.
The Indian Railways has described the USBRL as one of the most complex and ambitious infrastructure projects undertaken in post-Independence India. Spanning the geologically sensitive and mountainous terrain of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Anantnag, Pulwama, Srinagar, Budgam, and Baramulla districts, the project has pushed engineering boundaries, delivering not only long-sought rail connectivity but also iconic feats of construction. These include the Chenab Bridge, now the world’s highest railway bridge, and India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge at Anji Khad.
Conceived in 1994–95 and declared a national project in 2002, the USBRL aims to provide all-weather, direct rail connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of India. While the 25 km Udhampur-Katra section opened in 2014, followed by Banihal-Baramulla in 2013, the most challenging segment between Katra and Banihal – involving 111 km of difficult Himalayan terrain – is now nearing completion. The Railway Ministry has targeted its full commissioning by year-end.
The Centre informed Parliament that a total of 38 tunnels have been constructed in the Katra-Banihal section, accounting for 97.64 km – nearly 90 percent of the section’s length. The segment also includes 927 bridges and over 200 km of access roads, making it a logistical feat in terrain susceptible to frequent landslides and extreme weather. As of now, more than 98 percent of physical work on the section has been completed, with only tunnel T-14 between Sangaldan and Sawalkote awaiting final breakthrough.
In response to a parliamentary question, the government said local employment generation has been a key outcome of the project, with 35,380 jobs created for residents of Jammu and Kashmir through various contractors and sub-contractors. It also claimed the project had positive knock-on effects on road connectivity, electricity access, and water supply in previously cut-off areas.
Once completed, the USBRL is expected to revolutionise travel and economic movement in the region, cutting the journey time between Srinagar and Jammu from over ten hours by road to under four hours by train. The strategic importance of the link has also been underscored by the Ministry of Defence, given its potential for rapid troop and equipment mobilisation in the event of a conflict.
