On Thursday, July 21, General Manager Northern Railway Shobhan Choudhuri and senior officials from the Railways and IRCON International travelled to Banihal and Sangaldan in the Ramban district to view the progress of the USBRL project’s Banihal and Katra segment.
Choudhuri was joined by the CAO USBRL SP Mahi, the Chief Engineers from USBRL RC Gupta and BBS Tomar, the Chief Area Manager for Srinagar-Budgam Saqib Yusuf, and other top officials from the Firozpur Division.
The crew, which is on a two-day trip to J&K, arrived at Railway Station Banihal from Kashmir on Thursday afternoon and examined ongoing construction projects in the USBRL’s Banihal-Khari and Sangaldan sections. According to government sources, the delegation went on Friday morning for Katra in the Reasi district to evaluate the work being done there.
Between Baramulla-Srinagar and Banihal, the crew also visited the major rail stations, where it spoke with officials on the amenities offered to rail customers. It (the team) examined the continuing railroad track construction between the Banihal South Train Station and Tunnel No. 77. On the railroad track recently installed by construction companies in the Banihal area, a successful motor-trolley trial run—the first of its kind—was also conducted. Choudhuri assessed the status of ongoing projects in the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project’s Banihal-Khari-Sangaldan-Katra section. GM Choudhuri gave instructions to the engineers of IRCON International and other construction companies to expedite work so that the 111-kilometer Katra-Banihal project section’s railway line between Banihal and Sangaldan could be finished by the target date.
By the end of August this year, train service between Banihal and Khari is anticipated to start, and construction firms are hoping to finish the balanced work within the following 15 days.
The laying of the railway line and other electrical and mechanical work were nearing completion, according to Partap Singh, one of the site engineers, who spoke to Greater Kashmir. “We anticipate finishing the track in the Banihal sector in the next 10 to 15 days. All places in the Banihal and Khari region are experiencing a flurry of activity, he said.
111 km of the Banihal-Katra railway segment will be connected by rail after connecting Khari and Banihal stations, according to officials, and it will be another success for Northern Railway in the continuing USBRL project.
An official spokeswoman in the meantime stated that earlier on Thursday morning in the Kashmir Valley, General Manager Northern Railway Shobhan Choudhuri performed a thorough inspection of the Banihal-Baramulla rail segment of the USBRL project.
“S P Mahi, CAO USBRL, Chief Area Manager Srinagar, a team from the USBRL project, and other senior Firozpur Division officials were with Choudhuri during the inspection. The appraisal of passenger amenities at well-known railway stations in the Kashmir Valley, including Baramulla, Budgam, Srinagar, Anantnag, and Qazigund, was the first step in the inspection, according to him.
Shobhan Choudhuri gave the railway personnel the order to prioritize providing all passengers at these stations with the necessities while still ensuring the prompt and safe operation of trains. He placed a focus on improving rail users’ entire travel experiences.
The building of goods sheds at key areas including Baramulla, Sopore, Pampore, Awantipora, and Anantnag is one of the upcoming initiatives that the General Manager was made aware of for the Kashmir Valley.According to the spokeswoman, it is anticipated that it will greatly increase regional trade and commerce.
At the DEMU Shed in Budgam, Choudhuri looked over the facilities for maintaining trains. He looked over the Vistadome coach there and gave the staff orders to uphold the excellent standards.
Shobhan Choudhuri was also given a thorough status report and final location survey (FLS) of important railway projects in the area during the visit.
The Qazigund-Baramulla doubling, Baramulla-Uri line, Sopore-Kupwara line, Awantipora-Shopian line, and Anantnag-Pahalgam line are some of the important railway projects in the area.
According to the spokesperson, “Such crucial infrastructural developments are poised to revolutionize the Kashmir Valley railway network, opening the door for improved connectivity and economic growth.”
Shobhan Choudhuri evaluated the many facets of the railway system during the inspection and made important observations about passenger comforts, infrastructure growth, railway electrification, and the introduction of MEMU train services. He underlined the importance of quickly launching MEMU (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) train services.
“These initiatives are anticipated to support the Northern Railway’s dedication to efficiency and sustainability while offering commuters cutting-edge and environmentally friendly transportation options. The General Manager acknowledged his respect for the Kashmir Valley’s One Station, One Product (OSOP) Scheme’s successful implementation. The local economy and the marketing of indigenous products have both benefited greatly from this program, the spokeswoman stated, in addition to creating local employment prospects.
