The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is a railway line that would connect Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Recently, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw promised that Kashmir will be connected to the rest of the country via rail link by 2024.
Union Minister of State (MoS) Darshana Jardosh said that about 80 per cent of the work on that project has already been rounded up whereas the rest of the work will be completed by 2023.
Jardosh explained that this particular rail link project is the most ambitious railway project in post-Independence India. Hence, the national transporter is functioning at its optimum capacity to meet all the concerned deadlines.
A network of tunnels and rail lines will surely be a game changer for the Kashmir region which is usually hampered when it comes to connectivity to the rest of India. The new rail link will not only reduce time to travel from Kashmir to other parts but will open up new avenues of commerce and progress for the valley.
Let’s take a look at how the new railway line can change things for Kashmir.
All year round connectivity
One of the biggest problems Kashmir valley encounters is the immediate cut off following heavy snowfall in the region. Days go by without any transfer of goods or essentials at times when the road is blocked while the train service from Bannihal to Baramulla is disrupted frequently owing to heavy snow.
This all is about to change as the current railway track will be purpose built around tunnels to provide all weather and all year round connectivity.
Most of the 111 km Katra-Banihal route will consist of tunnels (95 km) and bridges (almost 10 km). This will help in easy transport of goods and help people to move without having to wait for the weather and tracks to clear.
Business Boost
The movement of freight to and from the valley will be a lot easier and cheaper. Goods and supplies will exchanged in a short span of time and
As such business in the valley will receive a major boost, since the transport of goods will be a lot convenient. It will be an opportunity for the valley businessman to easily expand their business beyond Kashmir with the distance between Delhi and Kashmir set to be reduced by a considerable time.
Instead of painstaking efforts to import goods and materials from Jammu and beyond, the transport will become much quicker saving time and money and giving business a boost.
Tourism Uplift
Since the railway line will be operational all year round, it will give the valley’s tourism a huge uplift. People from around India will be able to travel from connecting trains to Kashmir with relative ease.
With airline prices at times being sky high putting off potential visitors, this will be seen as a highly economical way of traveling to Kashmir and without fearing being stuck in the harsh winters.
Also people will be able to travel to Kashmir without any hesitation about road connectivity and as such can pool money into the valley boosting its tourism.
New Opportunities For People
Since travel to and from Kashmir will be made easy, convenient and less time consuming, many people will be investing in the valley which will create job opportunities for youngsters. There will be exchange of goods and materials but more important than that there will be exchange of ideas and mindset which will definitely help the youth more in Kashmir.
Businees, tourism will all lead to new opportunities for people in terms of jobs, income and other business opportunities.
Industry will for sure receive revival in Kashmir due to this rail link, with proximity to Delhi a major game changer both financially and strategically.
Although there have been false dawns before in Kashmir in the name of development and progress, one can hope for a more positive outcome this time. The work on the new rail link is almost 80% complete and hopefully by 2023 the most ambitious rail project in India’s history will be up and running.
A person can hope.