Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated significant railway projects worth over ₹16,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir, marking a pivotal step towards enhancing connectivity in the region.

Among these developments is the inauguration of a 48.1 km segment of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL), a vital infrastructure initiative aimed at bolstering transportation infrastructure in the region. Notably, the Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan section, constructed at a cost of ₹15,863 crore, boasts the country’s longest railway tunnel spanning 12.77 km, symbolising a major engineering feat.

PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for 220 projects, totaling ₹32,000 crore, further underscoring the government’s commitment to infrastructural development in the area. These endeavors are set to revolutionise transportation, replacing precarious mountain routes with reliable rail networks. Additionally, PM Modi flagged off the inaugural electric train service from Baramulla Station, a historic moment marking a new era in rail connectivity for the valley. Another service between Sangaldan and Baramulla Station was also inaugurated, facilitated by the electrification of the 185.66 route km Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal-Sangaldan section, at a cost of ₹470.23 crore.

The USBRL project, spanning 272 km and costing ₹41,119 crore, is strategically divided into four segments, with significant progress achieved in three sections by 2014. Presently, focus is on the 111 km Katra-Banihal stretch, where tunnelling comprises 87 percent of the work, with 48 out of 49 bridges already completed. The section will feature seven stations, catering to the burgeoning transportation needs of the region, with four stations in Reasi district and three in Ramban.