Railway conducts 1st successful trial run of train on Katra-Banihal section

In Jammu and Kashmir, ahead of the final inspection, the railway conducted a successful trial run of the train on the entire Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) Project yesterday.

Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the USBRL Project, Sandeep Gupta, along with officials from USBRL, Northern Railway, and construction companies, was onboard during the first train run between Katra and Banihal. It will be followed by final inspections and trials on the stretch by the Commissioner of Railway Safety on January 6 and 7 to determine the commencement of rail service to Kashmir. So far, the Railways has conducted six trials over the past month on various segments of the track, including major milestones such as India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, the Anji Khad bridge, and the iconic arch bridge over the Chenab at Kauri—the world’s highest railway bridge.

The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) will conduct statutory inspections and trials on January 7 and 8, and after that, the Commissioner will submit a report, which will guide further action on starting train services to Kashmir. In November, Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate the Vande Bharat train connecting Kashmir to New Delhi on the Udhanmpur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project in January.