Coming Soon: Train to Kashmir

The rail link, which will enhance socio-economic development, is being hailed as a gamechanger for the region

- Irfan Amin Malik

The first-ever rail service connecting Srinagar with the rest of the country is set to launch this month, connecting India's northernmost region like never before. The much-anticipated Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Project (USBRL) promises to transform the Kashmir Valley by seamlessly integrating Kashmir with the rest of India.

Indian Railways has said that a Vande Bharat Sleeper train will be launched on the track in January, covering over 800 kilometers and connecting New Delhi to Srinagar.

Until now, the only rail connectivity in the region was an internal line inaugurated in 2009, connecting Banihal in the Jammu division with Baramulla in North Kashmir. The new line will not only link Kashmir to Kanyakumari but also ensure all-weather access, slashing travel time between Srinagar and Jammu to just five hours.

Nearly eight decades since Jammu and Kashmir's accession to India, road connectivity between the Valley and the rest of the country remains less than ideal because of the terrain and weather. The Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the crucial and only road link between Kashmir and the rest of the world, is frequently closed due to landslides and mudslides, which are often triggered by inclement weather.

The 272-kilometer-long NH-1A highway has become a deathtrap, with frequent accidents along its treacherous, steep, hilly terrain and through its tunnels, resulting in numerous fatalities. The highway has also been closed for 223 days since 2019, according to an RTI reply by the J&K Traffic Police. The closure has resulted in a loss of 5,413 travel hours, disrupting trade and impacting the daily lives of commuters, including students, workers and patients.

The new link will come as a shot in the arm for the region's key sectors such as tourism, handicrafts and horticulture.