Ahead of train to Kashmir: Katra-Reasi track under railway safety chief’s watch
Delhi-Srinagar direct train nears reality as Katra-Reasi rail track passes safety inspection, linking Kashmir to India with engineering marvels like Chenab Bridge.
Ahead of train to Kashmir: Katra-Reasi track under railway safety chief’s watch
KATRA (Udhampur): The direct train service from Delhi to Srinagar, a long-awaited aspiration of the people of UT of Jammu and Kashmir, is now one step closer to reality as the newly-constructed Katra-Reasi rail track passed an important safety inspection on Friday. In charge of the inspection, Dinesh Chand Deshwal, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), inspected the 17 Km long rail section from Katra to Reasi.
The inspection, which focuses on safety standards, progress towards completion, and operational readiness, is one of two planned before operations begin. “Such inspections necessitate detailed and careful observation,”Deshwal said. Inspired by the inspection report, trains will start running on this track."
New Delhi: The direct Delhi to Srinagar train service will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi before January 26, reports said. The Kashmir rail link project is a major milestone of Indian Railways. Deshwal said, "They have used world-class technology over here, and the work is commendable.”
The inspection was led by railway cryptologist members from the Ministry of Justice and the British Transport Police team along tracks fostering the tunnels, bridges and stations. Among these engineering marvels in the Reasi district include the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed rail bridge on the Anji River.
The last piece of this Kashmir rail link, the Reasi-Katra rail track, was completed by December 2024. This segment is a part of the Katra-Banihal section, which has 27 tunnels and 37 bridges out of a 111-kilometre stretch. This section also includes the country's longest rail tunnel, T-49, with a length of 12.75 km.
This month, a trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on the Katra-Banihal section. In the previous month, the railways carried out six tests on different parts of the track, such as the AnjiKhad Bridge and Chenab Bridge.
The Katra-Reasi rail track is the most important rail link connecting Kashmir to the mainland of India by train from Delhi to Srinagar. The historic service will bring increased economic development and better connection to the region, and by this inspection, Indian Railways is one step closer to delivering this service.
This is another masterstroke in engineering and another feather in the progress and innovation cap for Indian Railways.
