Ahead of the launch of much-awaited direct train service between Delhi and Srinagar, commissioner of railways safety (CRS) Dinesh Chand Deshwal on Tuesday embarked on two-day long inspection of 17 km long Katra-Reasi rail track.
The visit is aimed at assessing the progress, safety standards, and operational preparedness of this crucial rail section. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate direct train service to Kashmir from Delhi before January 26.
“We are inspecting the 17 km long rail track between Katra and Reasi. Such inspections need minute and careful observation and hence, a team of officials involved. On the basis of inspection report, trains will start running on this track,” Deshwal told reporters.
The CRS said that with the completion of Kashmir rail link project, a new chapter has been written in the Indian railways’s history. “A new chapter has been written in the history of Indian Railways. Best of the world technology has been used here. A very good work has been done,” he added.
The two-day long inspection by the CRS comes close on the heels of PM Modi virtually inaugurating newly created Jammu railway division on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}The two-day long inspection by the CRS comes close on the heels of PM Modi virtually inaugurating newly created Jammu railway division on Monday.
{{/usCountry}}During inspection, Deshwal thoroughly inspected track, tunnels, bridges and station infrastructure.
Kashmir rail link has two engineering marvels in Reasi district—world’s highest rail arch bridge over Chenab River and India’s first cable stayed rail bridge over Anji river.
The CRS expressed satisfaction over quality of work done by the northern railways.
In December, railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the completion of Reasi-Katra section.
Deshwal will be visiting the iconic arch bridge at Kauri before to and fro speed trial of Katra-Banihal by CRS Special on Wednesday afternoon.
On January 4, trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on Katra-Banihal section. The railways have conducted six trials over the past month on various segments of the track, including Anji Khad Bridge and Chenab bridge.
The length of rail track from Katra to Banihal is 111 kilometers. The section includes 27 tunnels and 37 bridges. The longest rail tunnel in the country, T-49, which is 12.75 kilometers long, falls on this section.
The work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail project started in 2005-06. The 118-km-long Qazigund-Baramulla rail section in Kashmir was inaugurated in October 2009. The 18-km Banihal-Qazigund and 25-km Udhampur-Katra sections were commissioned in June 2013 and July 2014. In February this year, the trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on 40-km of track between Banihal and Sangaldan.
The railway line to Kashmir has 38 tunnels. The longest among them, T-49, measuring 12.75 km is the country’s longest rail tunnel. The line has 927 bridges. It includes the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi (359 metres).
The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17-km stretch between Reasi and Katra and this section was finally completed in December 2024.