‘USBRL project spurs jobs, tourism in J&K’
NEW DELHI, Feb 6: To further improve rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir’s border regions, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have been prepared for the doubling of the Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam section (118 km) and a new railway line from Baramulla to Uri (40 km), the Government of India informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The government said that while a survey for a new Sopore–Kupwara rail line (34 km) was earlier sanctioned and its DPR prepared to extend connectivity beyond the Srinagar–Baramulla section, the project was subsequently dropped after being found technically and economically infeasible.
Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said that following the preparation of DPRs, project sanction requires consultations with multiple stakeholders, including the State Government, and statutory approvals such as appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. He added that since project sanctioning is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.
Highlighting the impact of the recently commissioned 272-km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, the Minister said it has emerged as a major catalyst for socio-economic development in the region. The project spans the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla.
Vaishnaw said the USBRL project has generated over five crore man-days of employment, significantly contributing to local livelihoods. He added that the construction of more than 215 km of approach roads, including a tunnel and 320 small bridges, has improved connectivity for remote areas and boosted overall socio-economic conditions.
“With the introduction of all-weather, reliable and comfortable rail connectivity of the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the Indian Railways network, tourism is expected to receive a major boost,” the Minister said in his reply.
