First Passenger Train Reaches Srinagar, Carries Soldiers Back from Leave

New Delhi: In a landmark moment for Indian Railways and the armed forces, nearly 800 Indian Army personnel became the first passengers to complete the full train journey from Delhi to Srinagar on Tuesday. This historic ride follows the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), finally connecting the Kashmir Valley to the national rail network.

The troops, who were returning from leave and had faced delays due to flight cancellations to Jammu and Kashmir, began their journey from Delhi and disembarked briefly at Katra. From there, they boarded a separate train that took them to Srinagar in approximately four hours, according to defence and security sources quoted by Media.

This journey comes on the heels of a successful trial run in January, where a 22-coach train completed the Katra–Srinagar leg, testing the final stretch of the long-awaited USBRL project.

Officials have cleared the route for passenger and freight services, allowing a top speed of 85 kmph on the main line and 15 kmph on turnouts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been scheduled to inaugurate the Katra–Srinagar section last month, but the visit was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

Work on the ambitious 272-km USBRL project began in 1997 but was repeatedly delayed due to the region’s complex geography and harsh weather. So far, 209 km of the route had been commissioned in stages: 118 km from Qazigund to Baramulla in October 2009, 18 km from Banihal to Qazigund in June 2013, 25 km from Udhampur to Katra in July 2014, and the 48.1 km Banihal to Sangaldan stretch in February 2024, according to PTI.

The 46-km Sangaldan–Reasi section was completed in June 2024, and the final 17-km segment between Reasi and Katra was finished in December last year, officially completing the full rail link to the Kashmir Valley.