Work on Indian Railways’ Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, worth Rs 21,653 crore, connecting Kashmir with rest of India is probably to be completed inside 2-3 years. Northern Railway GM, Ashutosh Gangal was quoted in a PTI report saying that there was no seepage situation in the tunnels that are below building as they are horseshoe-shaped for water to drain out. The USBRL project is mentioned to be the most difficult railway infra project getting undertaken just after India’s Independence. The project has missed many deadlines amid enormous expense escalations considering the fact that the year 1997 when the then PM H D Deve Gowda laid the project’s foundation at Udhampur.
Gangal and other senior officials of Indian Railways had been at Kauri in Jammu and Kashmir to witness the completion of the arch on the world’s highest rail bridge, which soars 359 metres above the Chenab river bed. Gangal mentioned the seepage situation is in one or two tunnels in the Udhampur-Katra section. The building has been modified to horseshoe-sort to drain out the water. Thus, in the tunnels involving the Katra-Banihal section, there will be no seepage situation. In some old tunnels, seepage situation was present, and to address the trouble, the national transporter is taking essential measures, Gangal mentioned.
According to the report, of the 272 kilometres extended USBRL project, 161 kilometes length was commissioned in phases. The 118 kilometres extended Qazigund-Baramulla section was commissioned in October 2009, followed by the Banihal-Qazigund section of 18 kilometres extended in June 2013 and the 25 kilometres extended Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014. A railway official mentioned that the 111 kilometres extended Katra-Banihal section is below building. The project includes lots of firsts which includes the longest railway tunnel with 12.75 kilometres length, the world’s highest railway bridge, the very first cable-stayed bridge, which just after completion will be an engineering marvel of the 21st century.
Out of 97.64 kilometres, 84.39 kilometres stands completed on the key tunnels, he mentioned. Similarly, as lots of as 12 important bridges have been completed, and on 14 more, work is in progress. Besides, 10 minor bridges had been completed and work on the final one is in progress. So far, building of more than 205 kilometre network access roads stands completed, the official mentioned. About tunnel quantity 49 involving Sumber station yard-Arpinchala station yard, the official mentioned out of 12.75 kilometres total length, work on 11.21 kilometres was completed. Additionally, yet another important tunnel of 11.21 kilometres length in Qazigund section was completed and commissioned currently.