Srinagar, Dec 05: Northern Railways marked a historic milestone on Tuesday with the first electric rail trial run from Banihal Railway Station to Khari Railway Station in Ramban district, officials said.
This is a significant stride forward for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
A railway official from the Northern Railways project told Rising Kashmir that the trail run of the electric train was conducted successfully between the two stations.
"The recent arrival of eight coaches in Kashmir, with another set of eight destined for the upcoming second electric train, signifies a tangible step towards implementing the Ministry of Railways' proposal for seven to eight electric trains to serve the Kashmir region," he said.
However, the official noted that additional time would be required to complete the transportation of all the coaches.
Earlier in October this year, Union Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics, and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Baramulla-Banihal railway track, connecting Jammu to Srinagar, is slated for completion by December or January next year.
He highlighted the remarkable increase in the project budget, from 1000 Crore to 6000 Crore, which has significantly expedited the overall progress.
Vaishnaw expressed optimism about the imminent completion of the USBRL project by the end of the year, underscoring the significant strides made in connecting Jammu with Kashmir's railway network.
On a normal day, at least 20 pairs of trains run regularly from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Banihal and carry almost 30,000 passengers, including students and employees.
In 2013, Kashmir got its first train service when it was inaugurated by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway (USBRL) is a railway track being laid to connect the Valley to the rest of India. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Firozpur railway division of Indian Railways' Northern zone.
The 359 m (1,178 ft) tall Chenab Bridge lies on this line, which once completed will be the tallest railway bridge in the world.