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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will open the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express on April 19
The complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Railways network marks a historical milestone. (News18 Hindi File)
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express on April 19, India will finally close a critical gap on his railway map, one that Kuld has been closed 133 years old, but for a short of RS 52-Lak.
The complete integration of Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Railways network marks a historical milestone. But few know that the vision of a railway link between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley dates back to 1892, the duration of Maharaja Pratap Singh reign.
A derailed dream
According to the records of the Jammu and Kashmir Archive Department, the Maharajá had proposed a 197.5 km light electric railroad to connect JAMMU with Srinagar. The idea was far ahead of its time: electric centrals were planned along the way, and a team of engineers conducted detailed surveys in 1889.
On March 1, 1892, the fundamental stone was placed for the Kashmir Railroad in Hazoori Bagh in Srinagar. The project budget stood at 3.52 million rupees, or what RS 3 million rupees were available in the State Treasury. The Maharaja sought a subsidy of 52 LAKH of RS of the British Indian government, but its application was rejected.
“The project was filed not due to the lack of vision or preparation, but due to a deficit that the British meet to cover,” said documents A. Documents A.
“If that subsidy had been approved, the Kashmir Valley could have connected with the rest of India more than a century ago.”
Interestingly, engineering surveys of that time were later used to build the construction of the Jawahar tunnel in the 1950s. The engineers followed the same alignment proposed by the Maharaja team.
A century later
The efforts to connect to Kashmira by railway are serious only at the end of the 20th century. In 1983, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi laid the foundations of the Jammu-Udhampur railway line, originally scheduled to complete in five years with a budget of RS 50 million rupees. However, it was only inaugurated 21 years later, in 2005, with the final cost balloon at RS 550 million rupees.
The turning point arrived in 1994, when the UDHAMPUR-SRINAGAR-BARAMULLA RAILLA LINK (USBRL) project was launched. In 2002, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was declared by a national project, establishing the initial completion deadline for August 15, 2007.
The delays, the land of the Severo Himalayas and the complex tunnel operations promoted the forward timeline, for almost two decades.
7 days for the majestic steel arc—#Chenabbridge“Sings high to 359m, very high than the Eiffel Tower.”
On April 19, 2025, the Honorable PM Shri @Narendramodi The highest rail bridge in the world will open a monumental feat of the Indian railways in the heart of … pic.twitter.com/wlwdmk7fys
– Dr. Jitendra Singh (@drjitendrasingh) April 12, 2025
USBRL: A Modern Engineering Wonder
Now, in 2025, the USBRL project is complete at an estimated cost of RS 41,119 million rupees. The 272 km rail line includes some of the most notable engineering feats in the history of the Indian railways:
- Chenab Bridge: The highest rail bridge in the world, which rises to 359 meters above the river, than the Eiffel Tower.
- Anji Khad Bridge: The first railway bridge in India.
- T-49 tunnel: 12.75 km, it is the longest railway tunnel in India.
Sharing his emotion before the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for the PMO, tweeted:
“The majestic steel arch – Chenab Bridge – is kept high at 359 m, so it is higher than the Eiffel Tower. On April 19, 2025, the Honorable PM Shri Narendra Modi will open the highest railroad in the world, a monumental feat bymir.”
The USBRL is not just a logistics asset: it is a symbol of political will, regional integration and resistance.
Vision to reality: 133 years later
What was a dream in 1892 has been made 133 years later. With the inauguration of the JAMMU-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, the Kashmir Valley will be connected by a fully electric rail service for the first time for the first time.
The train, equipped with modern comforts and designed for speed, will drastically reduce the travel time and offer a safe, picturesque and comfortable trip through the Himalayas heart.
This is not just the culmination of an infrastructure project, it is the fulfillment of a centenary promise, which connects people, markets and dreams in the mountains that once divided them.
- Location:
Jammu and Kashmir, India, India