Srinagar, Aug 9 (IANS) As a historical milestone in goods transportation of Kashmir, the first freight train reached Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag town on Saturday. This also marks the operational debut of the Banihal-Sangaldan-Reasi-Katra section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

The development on Saturday integrates Kashmir Valley with the Indian Railways freight corridor enabling the direct movement of goods from across the country into the Valley and vice versa.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually flag off Vande Bharat Express train between Amritsar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra on August 10.

Local economy is definite to receive a great boost as the cost of transport of goods will come down appreciably in addition to completely addressing the uncertainty of goods movement through the Srinagar-Jammu highway which is prone to closures due to shooting stones, mudslides and earth caving-in accidents.

The arrival of the goods train will ensure round the year movement of merchandise from outside the Kashmir Valley and the transport of Valley’s huge horticultural produce including apples, etc.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir.

The laying of the USBRL has been an engineering marvel as well as an enduring test of human endurance. Amid one of the most rugged and difficult mountain terrains in the world.

The USRBL is a jewel in the crown of the Indian railways and also one of the most prestigious national project in the country’s history.

The completion of the railway link presented geological challenges in the geologically young Himalayas and there were no quick fix solutions for such problems.

Some of the geological challenges needed using technology that was upgraded to handle such problems for the first time in railway link laying history of the country.

The project includes the world’s tallest railway bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi district and the country’s first cable-stayed railway bridge called the Anji Khud railway bridge.

The project has created new avenues of employment and ancillary road connectivity due to laying to link roads in various areas along the track to make easy access available to the people residents in areas through which the track passes.

Not only the Chenab Railway Bridge and the Anji Khud cable stayed Bridge, the track from Udhampur to Srinagar includes 38 tunnels.

The arrival of the train to Kashmir has benefitted students, businessmen, horticulturists, tour and travel people and above all the common man to whom cheaper, safer and more comfortable access is now available to other parts of the country from the landlocked Valley.

The train these days operates between Katra and Baramulla. It will start operation from Jammu railway station to Baramulla before the year end.

–IANS

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