USBRL Project: CRS completes final inspection; trial run satisfactory

Ramban, Jan 8: Commissioner Railway Safety (CRS), Dinesh Chand Deshwal completed a two-day final mandatory inspection on the new Katra-Reasi-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on Wednesday.

Official sources said that on the second day of the inspection CRS Deshwal and his team after performing Pooja at Railway Station Katra boarded a special train that left Katra at 10:30 am.

They said that the train after passing through cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge and Chenab Bridge arc over the world’s tallest bridge, and several other tunnels and bridges reached Railway Station Banihal within an hour and a half.

Officials of the Northern Railways said that the high-speed train trial run on the challenging geography from Katra to Banihal railway stations with a speed of 110 km per hour on the 180-degree rising grade on the Katra-Reasi-Sangaldan-Banihal section was conducted to and fro successfully on Wednesday afternoon.

With this, the two-day mandatory high-speed train trail run inspection of the CRS concluded.

On Tuesday, CRS inspected the 17 km Katra-Reasi section of the track.

Officials said that CRS Deshwal after returning to Katra Wednesday late afternoon chaired a meeting and held deliberations with engineers of Northern Railway and his team.

They said that the inspection teams collected the data on tunnels and bridges en route to the Katra-Banihal track which was being analysed.

Engineers of the Northern Railway Construction Division who accompanied CRS on the special speed trail train said it was a unique and first-time experience for all the engineers, architects, technicians, and construction companies’ workers working on the USBRL project to witness a successful high-speed test on the track passing through tunnels and bridges en route Katra-Reasi–Sangaldan-Sumbar-Khari and Banihal railway stations.

They said earlier the CRS and his team checked the track, traction, telecom, signalling, platforms, and railway station infrastructures.

CRS Deshwal expressed satisfaction after riding the train to and fro Katra and Banihal.

On Wednesday morning after reaching Railway Station Banihal, CRS Deshwal expressed satisfaction over the inspection and the high-speed train trial run on the Katra-Banihal track.

“Our infrastructure is outstanding. Very soon, based on the CRS report, the decision to start direct train services to Kashmir will be taken,” CRS Deshwal said.

CRS Deshwal will submit his final inspection report to the Railway Ministry, Government of India, by Thursday evening or Friday.

Officials said, based on the CRS report, the decision to start the first direct train services from New Delhi to Kashmir would be taken by the union government any time this month.

The Kashmir rail line is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Officials said that PM Modi would launch the train service to Kashmir any time by or before January 26.