{"id":49579,"date":"2025-06-07T13:57:07","date_gmt":"2025-06-07T08:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=49579"},"modified":"2025-06-10T10:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T05:16:10","slug":"historic-rail-link-connects-kashmir-valley-with-katra-via-vande-bharat-trains","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/historic-rail-link-connects-kashmir-valley-with-katra-via-vande-bharat-trains\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic Rail Link Connects Kashmir Valley with Katra via Vande Bharat Trains"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Kashmir Rail Link Latest News<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>PM Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar, marking the launch of a direct rail link to the Kashmir Valley.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>This historic milestone is expected to significantly boost development, trade, tourism, and deepen the region\u2019s integration with the rest of India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Early Railway Efforts in Jammu and Kashmir<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The first railway line in the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was constructed by the British in 1897, connecting Jammu and Sialkot (now in Pakistan) over a stretch of 40\u201345 km.<\/li>\n<li>In 1902 and 1905, proposals were made for a Rawalpindi-Srinagar rail line via the Jhelum River, and an alternative Jammu-Srinagar line via Reasi was supported by Maharaja Pratap Singh. Neither plan materialized.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Post-Partition Disconnection and Reconnection<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>After\u00a0<strong>Partition in 1947<\/strong>, Sialkot became part of Pakistan, severing Jammu\u2019s railway connectivity.<\/li>\n<li>Until\u00a0<strong>1975<\/strong>, the closest railway station to Jammu and Kashmir was in\u00a0<strong>Pathankot, Punjab<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>The\u00a0<strong>Pathankot-Jammu<\/strong>\u00a0rail line was inaugurated in 1975.<\/li>\n<li>Construction of the\u00a0<strong>Jammu-Udhampur<\/strong>\u00a0rail line (53 km) began in\u00a0<strong>1983<\/strong>, but was only completed in\u00a0<strong>2004<\/strong>\u00a0\u2014 21 years later.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>In 1994, the project was extended from Udhampur to Srinagar and Baramulla.<\/li>\n<li>The USBRL Project was officially approved in March 1995 at an estimated cost of \u20b92,500 crore and declared a national project in 2002.<\/li>\n<li>Over the years, sections of the line became operational.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Completion of USBRL: A Landmark Achievement<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The USBRL is now fully completed:\n<ul>\n<li>272 km of rail tracks<\/li>\n<li>36 tunnels and 943 bridges<\/li>\n<li>Total cost: \u20b943,780 crore<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>It now connects Katra and Srinagar with a travel time of just 3 hours, marking a transformative milestone in connectivity for the region.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>An Engineering Marvel in the Himalayas<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/vajiram-prod.s3.ap-south-1.amazonaws.com\/image3_3f0ab52633.webp\" alt=\"image3.webp\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The USBRL project overcame extreme geological and climatic challenges in the seismically active and snow-bound\u00a0<strong>Shivalik Hills and Pir Panjal range<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Key engineering achievements include:\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Chenab Bridge<\/strong>: World\u2019s highest railway arch bridge, 359 metres above the riverbed.\n<ul>\n<li>It rises 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Spanning 1,315 metres, this steel arch structure is a key part of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link.<\/li>\n<li>The bridge can withstand wind speeds of up to 260 kilometres per hour and is built to last 120 years.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Structural steel suitable for temperatures ranging from minus 10 to 40 degrees Celsius has been used.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Anji Khad Bridge<\/strong>: Indian Railways\u2019 first cable-stayed bridge, also in Reasi district.\n<ul>\n<li>It spans the deep Anji River valley, south of the Chenab, connecting the Katra Banihal section of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Line.<\/li>\n<li>Towering 331 metres above the riverbed and stretching 725 metres across, it is anchored by 96 high tensile cables.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>At its heart stands an inverted Y shaped pylon that climbs 193 metres above its foundation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Longest transport tunnel in India<\/strong>: 12.77 km in Ramban district.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Year-Round, All-Weather Rail Connectivity<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Two Vande Bharat trains in each direction will connect Katra to Srinagar in just 3 hours, cutting road travel time by half.<\/li>\n<li>The trains are designed to operate even during harsh winter conditions, ensuring uninterrupted access to the Kashmir Valley throughout the year.<\/li>\n<li>Plans are underway to extend service to Jammu Tawi, enabling direct rail connectivity to Srinagar from across India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>Boost to Economy and Tourism<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>The railway link is expected to revolutionise tourism in Jammu and Kashmir by offering safe, quick, and scenic travel options.<\/li>\n<li>It will facilitate faster and cheaper transport of local products like apples, dry fruits, pashmina shawls, and handicrafts to other parts of the country.<\/li>\n<li>The cost of importing daily essentials into the Valley is likely to decrease, benefiting local residents and businesses alike.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Kashmir Rail Link FAQs<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Q1.<\/strong>\u00a0What is the USBRL project?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0A 272-km railway connecting Udhampur, Srinagar, and Baramulla, enhancing connectivity and economic integration with the Kashmir Valley.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q2.<\/strong>\u00a0Which engineering feats were achieved?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0It includes the world\u2019s highest railway arch bridge, India&#8217;s longest transport tunnel, and first cable-stayed railway bridge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q3.<\/strong>\u00a0How will the trains benefit locals?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0All-weather trains reduce travel time, lower transport costs, and improve access to goods and services in the Valley.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q4.<\/strong>\u00a0What is the impact on tourism?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0Faster, scenic train travel is expected to significantly boost tourism to Jammu and Kashmir year-round.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q5.<\/strong>\u00a0How does this link aid trade?<\/p>\n<p><strong>Ans.<\/strong>\u00a0It enables faster, cheaper transport of local produce like apples, handicrafts, and dry fruits across the country.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Source:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/train-to-kashmir-chenab-bridge-inauguration-pm-modi-10052670\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=154553&amp;ModuleId=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PIB<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/explained\/rail-link-to-valley-how-it-was-done-for-12-years-we-ate-lived-breathed-the-chenab-10052652\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>India completes USBRL Project linking Srinagar and Katra via Vande Bharat trains, boosting tourism, economy, and national integration.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":49580,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[754,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-49579","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-kashmir-rail-link","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=49579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/49579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=49579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=49579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=49579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}