Tracking the train to Kashmir: How the Vande Bharat is set to transform commute in the Valley

Source: The post is based on the article “Tracking the train to Kashmir: How the Vande Bharat is set to transform commute in the Valley” published in Indian Express on 13th April 2023

What is the News?

Vande Bharat Express will soon run between Jammu and Kashmir as the work on the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is completed.

About the History of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) Project

The first railway line in the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir was built by the British in 1897 over a distance of 40-45 km between Jammu and Sialkot in the plains.

After Partition, Sialkot went to Pakistan, and Jammu was disconnected from the rail network of India.

Until the inauguration of the Pathankot-Jammu line in 1975, the railway station nearest to Jammu and Kashmir was Pathankot in Punjab.

In 1983, work began on a railway line between Jammu and Udhampur.The project was completed in 2004 and has 20 major tunnels and 158 bridges.

With work underway on the Jammu-Udhampur line, the government in 1995 approved the extension of the line from Udhampur to Srinagar, and then Baramulla – USBRL project.

The project was declared as a national project in 2002 on account of its being among the most challenging works undertaken by the Indian Railways after Independence.

What are the challenges in implementing the railway line project?

The Himalayas are young and the geologically unstable Shivalik Hills and Pir Panjal mountains lie in the seismically most active Zones IV and V.

The terrain, which sees heavy snow in winter, presents serious challenges in the construction of bridges and tunnels.

In view of the challenges in the construction, engineers of the Railways devised a novel Himalayan Tunneling Method (HTM).

Under this method, horseshoe-shaped tunnels were constructed instead of the usual D-shaped ones. In this method, the site comes down in a curve giving strength to the structure where the soil above it is loose.

What are the benefits of this project?

Firstly, it will bring down the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu to between three and three-and-a-half hours from the five to six hours that it takes by road currently.

Secondly, it will provide a reliable and cost-effective all-weather alternative to the Jammu-Srinagar national highway which is frequently shut down by landslides.

Thirdly, it will facilitate hassle-free transport of goods such as apples, dry fruits, pashmina shawls, handicrafts etc to other parts of the country in the shortest possible time and at a lesser cost.