Kashmir Gets First Rail Link, Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Service To Start From June 7 | A Timeline

The over a century-old ambitious plan to run a train to the Kashmir valley through the arduous Shivalik and Pir Panjal mountain ranges materialised on Friday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Srinagar–Jammu–Delhi rail link at the Katra end in Jammu’s Udhampur district. He also flagged off the first Vande Bharat train from Katra to Kashmir during his first visit to the valley after ‘Operation Sindoor’.

“What was once a vision proposed in the 19th century by the Dogra maharajas is now transforming into one of the most significant infrastructure achievements in independent India’s history,” a senior railway official said, as per PTI.

As part of launching development projects worth more than rupees 46,000 crores in Kashmir, the prime minister also inaugurated the Chenab Bridge, which will be the world’s highest railway arch bridge.

Lauding the Chenab Bridge as an architectural marvel, an official statement earlier noted that it was at a height of 359 metres above the river. The 1,315-metre-long steel arch bridge is engineered to withstand seismic and wind conditions.

"A key impact of the bridge will be in enhancing connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. Through the Vande Bharat train moving on the bridge, it will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by two-three hours," it said, stressing Modi's commitment to boosting infrastructure and connectivity in the region.

A Timeline Of Developments

Maharaja's Proposal In 1892

According to special documents from the Jammu and Kashmir Archives Department, in 1892, the Maharaja of Dogra first proposed the idea of a rail link to Kashmir. In 1898, the ruler had commissioned British engineering firm S R Scott Stratten and Co to survey the rugged terrain for a railway route to Kashmir.

Three British engineers were appointed to prepare and execute detailed survey reports. However, two of the three reports prepared in 11 years between 1898 and 1909 were rejected.

The first report, submitted by D A Adam, recommended an electric railway between the Jammu and Kashmir regions, featuring steam locomotives on a narrow two-feet-six-inch gauge line. This proposal was rejected due to the challenging elevation levels.

Another proposal, submitted in 1902 by W J Weightman, suggested a railway line connecting Kashmir from Abbottabad (now in Pakistan) along the Jhelum River. This, too, was turned down.

However, the third proposal by Wild Blood recommended a railway alignment along the Chenab River through the Reasi area. This report was approved.

Several plans on powering electric trains and establishing power stations near Udhampur, Ramsu, and Banihal were also examined but ultimately rejected. However, after multiple rejections, British engineer Col D E Bourel was finally tasked with submitting a detailed report on local coal reserves.

Furthermore, a detailed report was commissioned from T D La Touche, the then deputy superintendent of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), on the Sangarmarg and Mehowgala coal mines.

Marking a positive development after a slew of rejections, in December 1923, S R Scott Stratten and Co. was re-engaged to implement the coal extraction project.

However, the death of Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1925 and the growing Indian independence movement led to the project being shelved permanently, the documents said.

Revival Of The Idea

The shelved ambitious dream was further revived nearly six decades later, when the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone for the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar railway line in 1983.

According to the officials, at the time, the mega project was estimated to cost around 50 crore rupees and was expected to be completed in five years. However, the budget far exceeded in the next 13 years as only 11 km of the line could be constructed, which comprised 19 tunnels and 11 bridges at the cost of 300 crore rupees.

This project later turned into the broader Udhampur-Katra-Baramulla railway project, estimated at Rs 2,500 crore, which saw its foundation stones laid by prime ministers H D Deve Gowda and I K Gujral in 1996 and 1997 at Udhampur, Qazigund, and Baramulla.

Construction began in 1997. However, repeated delays occurred due to challenging geological, topographical, and weather conditions, significantly inflating the cost to over 43,800 crore rupees as of now.

Declared As National Project

Back in 2002, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) was declared a national project considering its strategic importance.

Out of the 272 km stretch, 209 km has already been commissioned in phases, including Qazigund-Baramulla in 2009, Banihal-Qazigund in 2013, Udhampur-Katra in 2014, and Banihal-Sangaldan in 2023.

The final stretch connecting Katra to Sangaldan was completed the link in February 2024.

The engineering marvel includes 38 tunnels and 927 bridges along the Kashmir rail project, with the Chenab Bridge, which is 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, standing 359 metres above the riverbed, being the highlight. This is the world’s highest railway arch bridge.