The trial run on the Katra-Budgam railway track of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) was concluded today as the 18-coach trial train started from Katra railway station at 8 am towards Kashmir.
“The trial 18-coach train has reached Budgam now and this completes the final trial run on the USBRL,” said officials monitoring the trial run here.
The ambitious USBRL was built for Rs 41,000 crore. The track is 326 km long out of which 111 km is in tunnels with the T-49 tunnel being 12.77 km long which is the longest railway tunnel in the country.
Indian Railways has built the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
The iconic Chenab Bridge is 1315m long with an arch span of 467m and a height of 359m above the river bed. The Chenab Rail Bridge is a steel and concrete arch bridge having a single line of railway, located between Bakkal and Kauri in the Reasi district of Jammu Division.
The bridge crosses the Chenab River at a height of 359 m (1178 ft) above the river, making it the world’s highest rail bridge and the world’s highest arch. It is between Sangaldan Railway Station and Reasi Railway Station.
Indian Railways has also built its first cable-stayed bridge over Anji Khad. The bridge has a deck of 331 meters above the river bed and a main pylon of 193 meters. Perched over the Anji Khad river which swells every monsoon season, the bridge is supported by a single pylon, a large vertical tower-like structure 1066 feet above the river bed similar to the height of a 77-storey building.
Surrounding by mountains on both sides, the construction site is prone to fog and gusty winds. The entire USBRL is the most challenging task completed by Indian Railways. It is probably the most challenging rail link ever built in the world over such a long distance between mountains, rivers, and difficult topography and weather.
USBRL will boost the horticulture, agriculture, tourism, trade, and education of students and will make travel easy and affordable for the common man between Kashmir and the rest of the country.
This project is one of the biggest infrastructures to integrate J&K with other parts of the country. Vande Bharat train will run between Katra and Baramulla as soon as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates, the date of inauguration is yet to be announced.
