J&K: PM Modi To Inaugurate Final Leg Of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Link, Featuring World’s Highest Railway Bridge

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the final leg of the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on 19 April, ANI reported.

The newly completed Katra-Sangaldan stretch includes the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge ushering in direct rail connectivity between New Delhi and the Kashmir Valley via Katra.

"This bridge is in our vicinity. On 19 April, PM Modi will inaugurate this bridge. We are so happy; everyone in the village is so happy. The construction of this bridge generated a lot of employment opportunities, and even after the inauguration, we will get employment opportunities," shared a resident of Bakkal village, reflecting the local excitement and pride.

Spanning 272 km, the USBRL project includes an extraordinary 119 km tunnel system. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity (ED/IP) at the Railway Board, noted its strategic and cultural relevance, "It has been the dream of every Indian to have a train running to Kashmir. For this, we have made long preparations, and now this USBRL section is ready… This entire area is very important from the religious, tourism and connectivity point of view of Kashmir."

On the day of inauguration, Indian Railways will launch two Vande Bharat Express trains, one from Srinagar and another from Katra to Srinagar. "On the date of commencement of the project, we have planned to run two Vande Bharat Express trains," Kumar added.

Earlier this year, Indian Railways successfully conducted a trial run from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) to Srinagar. The route traverses engineering marvels such as the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge.

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