A final trial run of a new line between Katra and Srinagar railway stations was completed over the weekend. The railway, which will be inaugurated by India Prime Minister Narendra Modi next month, marks the final step of connecting Delhi to Indian-administered Kashmir by train.
Once in service, it will be possible to travel the 800 kilometers from the Indian capital New Delhi to Srinagar, the largest city in Jammu and Kashmir, in around 13 hours.
This service follows over three decades of effort by engineers and construction workers to complete the 272 kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL). The costs for constructing the route is estimated to be around $4.28 billion (€4.11 billion).
Earlier this month, Modi virtually inaugurated the new Jammu division of Indian Railways, which will oversee the Delhi-Srinagar service, calling the new rail link a “watershed moment in new age connectivity.”
“Integration of Jammu and Kashmir into the national railway network is a monumental step towards transforming Indian Railways into a global leader in efficiency, speed, and passenger experience,” said the PM.
High-tech engineering
The test run for the Vande Bharat Express consisted of 22-cars with 18 air-conditioned coaches, two luggage carriers and two engines. The line passes over 943 bridges, including Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world, and through 38 tunnels.
“On the basis of inspection report, trains will start running on this track. A new chapter has been written in the history of Indian Railways. Best of the world technology has been used here,” said Dinesh Chand Deshwal, India’s commissioner of railways safety.
Officials associated with the project say it was a feat of engineering to construct a rail line through the region’s difficult Himalayan terrain and extreme weather.
Even the train cars had to be specifically designed to withstand the harsh winter conditions of Jammu and Kashmir. The coaches are equipped with advanced heating systems that prevent water tanks from freezing and the train features specially designed triple-layer windshields that automatically defrost.
“The scale and complexity of the project was the test of our engineering prowess. We also had to deploy sophisticated technologies such as structural health monitoring systems with sensors installed on the Chenab Bridge for us to collect real-time data to ensure safety and structural integrity,” a senior railway official who asked not to be named as he is unauthorized to speak to the press told DW.
Boost to Kashmir’s economy
Representatives of the local tourism industry are hopeful that the train’s lower fares compared to air travel will make Kashmir more accessible to budget travelers and increase off-season tourism.
“Train fares are affordable and will aid tourist arrivals. New Delhi-Srinagar airfares typically range between rupees 4,000 (€44, $46) and 8,000 (€88, $92) one-way, and goes up more during peak tourism seasons and festivals. This is very helpful,” Javed Ahmad, a tourist guide in Srinagar, told DW.
Many also hope the new rail line will enable faster and cheaper shipment of locally produced products to major markets across India thereby reducing spoilage and waste during transport. Kashmir is India’s largest producer of apples, walnuts, almonds and saffron, but the industry has suffered due to high transportation costs and delays on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
“We hope this new connectivity will attract new businesses and investors, boosting Kashmir’s overall economy. We hope there are more sales,” Abdul Rashid Bhat, a walnut exporter, told DW.
Not everyone is celebrating
Some residents of Kashmir are uneasy about the project fearing it may increase New Delhi’s influence in the region.
“Following the revocation of Kashmir’s special status in 2019, we are apprehensive. It has intensified fears of cultural and economic marginalization,” Mukhtar Ahmad, a shopkeeper from Srinagar, told DW.
“We have to wait and watch and see how all this plays out in the coming months,” he added.
While enhancing connectivity, the train link has raised concerns about economic impacts on local businesses that depend on traditional transport routes through Jammu, which the new railway bypasses.
Critics also fear that the railway infrastructure is part of a broader strategy to exert control over the region, facilitating military movements and demographic changes that threaten local identity and land rights.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), a political party in Jammu and Kashmir, contends that this measure is a facade, creating unnecessary hardships for travelers and reinforcing Delhi’s control.
“The government has yet to grant statehood and has also not announced when it will. Why is it ramping up infrastructure all over? We are suspicious. This is nothing but enhancing operational capabilities in a strategically sensitive region,” a PDP leader, who asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic, told DW.
Edited by: Ole Tangen Jr
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