New Delhi: The Indian Railways has been creating historic moments over the years with its diligence and determination to improve the rail connectivity in the country. Recently, it created history by successfully completing the ‘rising grade’ speed test on the challenging Katra to Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. Union Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw posted from his X (formerly Twitter) account the video of the trial run which has been a success and the progress made so far. Also, the Indian Railways conducted a speedy trial run on the world’s highest railway bridge on the Chenab River. The trial run’s success indicates an early start to direct rail services between Kashmir and the rest of India.
Final stage CRS safety inspection of the USBRL Project commences for Katra-Banihal section. pic.twitter.com/tucxeLkIr3
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 8, 2025
The pride of the Indian Railways
The trial run between Katra and Banihal was conducted at a speed of 110 kilometres per hour on the steep rising grade of 180 degrees. It was a historic milestone for the Indian Railways and as per reports, railway officials have expressed their pride at the success of the trail run. They reportedly credited the engineers for their remarkable efforts in overcoming numerous challenges to achieve this feat.
Tested train run at 110 kmph on Chenab bridge. Historic day indeed. The Jammu Srinagar railway line is getting ready to be operational soon. pic.twitter.com/pMxpKaeMK4
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 8, 2025
A testament to world-class infrastructure
The successful trial run on the Katra-Banihal section shows the world-class infrastructure of India. During the construction of the line, engineers faced many technical complexities but they overcame them and ensured precise track alignment to handle high-speed operations. Notably, during the test, the train went through the T-30 tunnel (Tunnel-30) at a speed of 110 kilometers per hour.
Last month, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Reasi-Katra section has been completed. It is a major step in the efforts to connect Kashmir to the rest of India, a goal which has taken three decades to fulfill. On January 4, a successful electric train test was completed in this section. Notably, the total span of the USBRL project is 272 km, out of which 209 km have already been initiated in various stages. The project began in 1997 and faced several delays due to difficult terrain and weather conditions.
Indian Railways achieved a significant milestone with a successful 110 kph high-speed trial run on the challenging Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. This impressive feat, conducted on a steep rising grade, showcases world-class infrastructure and engineering expertise. Biz News Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
