Railways Conduct Successful Trial Run Of EMU Train Through Khari-Sumber Section Connecting Kashmir

Kashmir: The dream project of building a train link between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country was given new life on the eve of Republic Day when the Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, posted a video on his personal social media account.

Udhampur To Kashmir Directly 

It would be possible to travel by train from Udhampur directly to Kashmir once the massive Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is completed. Posting a video of an engine operating smoothly on the tracks, the Railways Minister wrote, "Trials Successful: EMU runs through Bharat's longest transportation tunnel (13 km)!!! Khari-Sumber section, Jammu & Kashmir." Authorities from the Railways say that the Udhampur-Baramulla segment is going to be extended until Sumber now that the EMU train has successfully tested through the longest transportation tunnel on the Khari-Sumber stretch.

Khari Railway Station: Work In Progress

Along the USBRL project, the second set of statutory inspections between Banihal and Khari was carried out on January 3 by the Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS). Located in the Ramban area of Jammu and Kashmir, the Khari railway station lies halfway between Banihal and Katra on the 111-kilometer remaining section of the USBRL project, which is expected to link Kashmir with the rest of the nation via train in the upcoming months.

Banihal-Khari Section: Trial runs

Northern Railways successfully completed the first trial run of an electric train from Banihal to Khari on December 6, 2023, much to the delight of the locals in the gorgeous location. The 111-kilometer USBRL project's final phase, which connects Banihal to Katra, includes the 16-kilometer Banihal-Khari segment. Furthermore, the Northern Railway Firozpur division made a successful first trial run with a six-coach electric engine.

272-km USBRL: A ‘Nnational Project’

The goal of the 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is to build a broad-gauge railway line that will connect Kashmir Valley to the rest of the nation. Owing to the USBRL's significance in offering smooth and trouble-free communication to Kashmir, it was designated as a "National Project" in 2002.

The first phase of the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla portion of the 272-km USBRL project was completed in October 2009; the 18-km Banihal-Qazigund and the 25-km Udhampur-Katra sections were completed in June 2013 and July 2014, respectively. One of the most difficult railway infrastructure projects since independence is the 1997-started USBRL project, which is beset by several delays and cost overruns.