Decks cleared for rail link to connect J&K

SOON, the interior Kashmir is all set to be connected to the rest of India through a rail line, with the first track work of the Centre's ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project being completed.

- Rajesh Kumar Thakur

The construction of one of the tunnels that are part of the project, T-33, located at the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, have also been completed. The 3,209-metre T-33 is designed in a modified horseshoe format.

"The track work for the 3.2-km T-33, located at the foothills of Vaishno Devi and connecting Katra to Reasi, was successfully completed on Friday," said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Safety remained a top priority during the excavation and construction of the tunnel between Katra and Reasi, as the process posed significant challenges, officials said.