Connecting the Crown: Indian Railways Boosts J&K's Connectivity

Indian Railways has initiated five new surveys in Jammu and Kashmir, including plans for four new rail lines and the doubling of an existing one to enhance connectivity in hilly and border areas.

The proposed lines include:

• Baramulla-Uri (46 km)
• Sopore-Kupwara (37 km)
• Anantnag-Pahalgam (78 km)
• Avantipore-Shopian (28 km)

Additionally, a survey for doubling the Banihal-Baramulla section (118 km) is underway. A separate survey for the Jammu-Poonch line via Akhnoor and Rajouri (223 km), estimated at ₹22,771 crore, has also been completed.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, speaking in the Lok Sabha, highlighted the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), covering multiple districts, and reaffirmed that railway project approvals are a continuous process.

Keywords: Indian Railways, Jammu & Kashmir, railway projects, connectivity, USBRL, Baramulla, Banihal, Poonch, railway expansion.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.