Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister, Railways, said that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is expected to be completed in this financial year. The Chenab Rail Bridge, which at 359 metres above the riverbed is the world's highest arch railway bridge and towers 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower, is a critical component of the USBRL project. He added that out of the 272-km-long rail link, 255 km have been completed. He said that the expected project cost is Rs.410 billion of which Rs.389 billion expenditure has been incurred up to March 2024. The minister said this section involves tunnelling — 97.42 km out of 111 km (87 per cent) of Katra-Banihal section is in tunnels and a tunnel, T-49, would be 12.77 km, which will be the longest railway tunnel in the country.
In a related development, Patel Engineering has successfully achieved substantial completion of its Tunnel T-15 and part of the Tunnel T-14 project, which represents a major milestone in the USBRL project and showcases the company's engineering expertise and dedication to improving regional connectivity. Tunnel T-15 and part of the Tunnel T-14 project enhances all-weather connectivity between Kashmir Valley and the rest of India.
