Katra-Banihal railway line work on fast-track! PM wants project to be ready by 2020

New Delhi: Railway connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir may get a boost soon! Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently reviewed the progress of infrastructure connectivity projects including Katra-Banihal Railway Line and he gave explicit instructions on speedy completion of the project by 2020. 

It may be noted that in order to provide an alternative and a reliable transportation system to Jammu and Kashmir, the government planned a 326 km-long railway line joining the Kashmir valley with the Indian Railways network.

The project has been declared as a Project of National Importance. Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla railway line is the biggest project in the construction of a mountain railway since independence. 

From Jammu to Baramulla, the length of the new rail line is 326 Km. The work is in various stages of progress in the balance length from Katra to Banihal (111 Km). The railway line from Katra to Banihal will have 40 bridges. The maximum height of the bridge on this route will be 359 metres.

It is to be noted that this Project is, perhaps, the most difficult new railway line project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent. The terrain passes through the young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The execution of the work in the balanced portion between the Katra and Banihal (111 KM) has been divided among three agencies- Northern Railway (5 Km), KRCL (53 Km) and IRCON (53 Km).

The route will have the world's tallest railway bridge over Chenab river. This bridge will form the crucial link between Katra and Banihal which is a key part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla section of the railway project. The work on the installation of the main arch between two sides of the bridge has already begun. Note that the construction of the bridge began in 2004. However, the work was stopped in 2008-09 on the account of rail passengers' safety due to frequent high-velocity winds in the area.

This arch bridge will be 1.315-km-long and is being constructed at a height of 359 metres above Chenab river waters. The bridge will have railway stations at both its terminal ends. Railways is planning to install sensors on the bridge to check the wind velocity. In case, the wind speed exceeds 90 Kmph, the signal on the railway track will turn red and any train movement will be stopped. As per officials, the bridge can withstand winds up to 260 Kmph and its lifespan will be 120 years.

Since the bridge is being built in a terrorism-prone region, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is working the Railways to ensure that this Rs 12,000-crore bridge is able to withstand any major blast. Special 63 mm-thick blast-proof steel is being used in the construction of this bridge.

The 2020 deadline for the Katra-Banihal railway line project was fixed by PM Modi while chairing his 31st interaction meet through PRAGATI. Meanwhile, several projects in the north-east like the widening and upgradation of Aizawl-Tuipang highway project was also discussed. To provide faster and safer connectivity between Delhi and Meerut, PM said that Delhi-Meerut Expressway should be completed by the revised timeline of May 2020.