 Early Times REPORT
Jammu, July 26: Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnaw on Friday said that executing agencies are working round the clock to complete the remaining 17 kilometres stretch on the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail project.
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, the Railway Minister said that the work of the new line in Jammu & Kashmir is being undertaken under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project. “Out of the total 272 Km of the Udhampur Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL), 255 KM has already been completed. The work has been taken up on the balance stretch of the Katra-Reasi section of 17 Km length. The anticipated cost of the project is Rs 41,000 crore, against which, an expenditure of Rs 38,931 crore has been incurred up to March 2024 on the project”, he said.
“The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is, perhaps, the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-independence. The terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises”, he informed.
“This section predominantly involves tunnelling i.e. 97.42 Km out of 111 Km (i.e. 87%) of the length of the Katra-Banihal section is in tunnels and a maximum length of tunnel T-49 is 12.77 Km, which will be the longest railway tunnel in the country”, he said.
He further said that the Railway has made the world’s highest Railway Bridge over the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir.
“The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1315 m long having an Arch span of 467 m and a height of 359 m above river bed. Indian Railway's first cable-stayed bridge has been constructed over Anji Khad. Its bridge deck is 331m above the river bed level and the height of its Main pylon is 193m”, the minister said.
“The trial runs with electric trains have been successfully conducted on the Chenab Bridge. The section from Reasi to Sangaldan (46 km) has been commissioned. Chenab Bridge is situated between Bakkal and Dugga stations on the Reasi-Sangaldan section. The project is likely to be completed in this Financial year”, the minister assured the House. |
