CRS conducts inspection on Banihal-Sangaldan section of Kashmir rail project

Banihal/Jammu, Feb 16 (PTI) Commissioner of Railways Safety D C Deshwal on Friday completed his two-day inspection of recently completed 48-km-long Banihal-Sangaldan section along the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), officials said.

Sangaldan railway station in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district falls between Banihal and Katra on the remaining 111-km stretch of the USBRL project, which on completion will connect Kashmir with the rest of the country by train in the coming months, the officials said.

The Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS) along with his team conducted the final inspection of the railway track, tunnels and other systems between Khari-Sumbar and Sangaldan section during his two-day visit, the officials said.

A speed trial of the electric train was also successfully conducted between Sangaldan and Khari railway stations during the inspection, the officials said.

Deshwal returned back to Srinagar in a rail car from Khari Friday evening, where he is scheduled to hold a meeting with Northern railway authorities before submitting a final report.

Out of the total 272-km USBRL project, the 161 km was commissioned in phases with first phase 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009 followed by 18-km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013 and 25-km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014.

The work on the project, which is the most challenging railway infrastructure project being undertaken post-independence, was started in 1997 and has missed several deadlines amid huge cost escalations.