Detailed project reports for the doubling of the Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam rail line and for the proposed Baramulla-Uri new line have been prepared though no definite timeline for completion of these projects can be fixed as this depends on several factors, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told Rajya Sabha on Friday.His written response came to a query from MP Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, who sought to know whether the government had proposed extending the Baramulla railway line up to Kupwara and further to Karnah to improve connectivity, strengthen the border economy, and promote overall development in the far-flung region.
Vaishnaw said to extend rail connectivity beyond the existing Srinagar-Baramulla section, a survey for a new Sopore-Kupwara line (34 km) was sanctioned and a detailed project report was prepared. However, the project was later dropped after it was found to be infeasible.
“To further improve rail connectivity, in the border region, the detailed project reports of following projects have also been prepared: Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam doubling (118 km) and Baramulla to Uri new line (40 km),” Vaishnaw said.
He added, “After preparation of detailed project report, sanctioning of the project requires consultation with various stakeholders including state governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot be fixed.”Talking about the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of total length 272 km, which has recently been commissioned, Vaishnaw stated that it covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir.“The USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact. The project has generated more than 5 cr man-days of employment,” the minister said.Also Read | Vaishnaw touts Indian Railways’ financial health; LHB coach production up 18-fold“Another crucial facet of the USBRL project’s socio-economic development efforts has been the construction of over 215 km of approach roads, which include construction of a tunnel and 320 small bridges. This road network has helped the local population in improvement of their connectivity with other areas and also improvement in socio-economic states,” he added.According to him, with the all-weather, reliable and comfortable rail connectivity of the valley portion with the rest of the Indian Railway network, tourism will get a big boost.
