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| High-speed train trial on Katra-Banihal track another milestone towards Kashmir Rail link | | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, Jan 8: Four days after the first passenger train successfully ran on the Katra-Banihal track, Indian Railways achieved another major milestone by successfully running a high-speed train on the same track.
The train ran at a speed of 110 km/h on a 180-degree climb, navigating the most challenging rail route from Katra to Banihal. The trial train left Katra station at 10:30 am and reached Banihal station in one and a half hours. It departed for Katra again at 2 pm. This was the final speed trial on the track.
“Today marked a significant milestone for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project with the successful completion of final speed trials on the Katra-Banihal section, conducted under mandatory inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS),” Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu posted on his social media handle.
“The trials included the iconic Anji Rail Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge connecting Katra and Reasi, and the awe-inspiring Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge—symbols of engineering excellence and national pride,” he further stated in his post.
Regarding the inspection, a senior official said on Wednesday that a new chapter has been written in the history of Indian Railways with the successful testing of the rail on the USBRL from Katra to Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir.
Northern Circle Railway Safety Commissioner (CRS) Dinesh Chand Deswal’s comment signals a positive outlook for the early start of direct rail services between Kashmir and the rest of the country. He stated that after the completion of the two-day statutory inspection, he would now analyze the collected data, after which a decision will be made regarding the start of train services.
Talking to reporters after reaching Banihal following the successful high-speed trial from Katra, Deswal said his team would return to Katra to analyze all the data before making a decision about starting a direct train service to Kashmir.
He added that the trial was successful, with the train running at a speed of 110 km/h on a 180-degree climb along the most challenging rail route from Katra to Banihal. “This trial was a success, and we are satisfied with the results. The credit for this success goes to our engineers, who have done an excellent job,” he said.
The trial train left Katra station at 10:30 am and reached Banihal station in one and a half hours. It departed for Katra at 2 pm. Deswal, who arrived in Katra for a two-day inspection of the newly constructed railway line, stated that the final decision on starting services between Kashmir and the rest of the country would be made by the Central Government.
Regarding the timeline for starting the direct train service to Kashmir, he said that nothing could be confirmed at this point.
Earlier, on January 4, a passenger train ran for the first time over the Anji Khand Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, constructed over the Chenab River in the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Passing through the Himalayas and snow-clad mountains, the first trial train successfully ran on the Katra-Banihal section. With this successful trial, the rail journey to Kashmir has reached its final stage. Next week, the final statutory safety inspection will be carried out for the commencement of rail services to Kashmir.
Today, for the first time, a high-speed train has been successfully tested on the rail route between Katra and Banihal. This historic test is an important step toward directly connecting this remote area of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. After this successful test, it is expected that direct train services on this route will begin soon. |
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