Prime Minister Modi Launches Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express: Key Features of the USBRL Project

Launch of Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, while Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw highlighted eight significant features of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project on Friday.

In a post on the social media platform 'X', Vaishnaw referred to this project as an 'extraordinary engineering achievement' and emphasized the inclusion of 'India's longest transport tunnel, T-50'. This tunnel, located between Khari and Sumber, stretches over 12.77 kilometers.

Additionally, the rail link features India's second-longest transport tunnel, T-80, known as the Pir Panjal railway tunnel, which measures 11.22 kilometers and is situated between Banihal and Qazigund.

He also mentioned that the project includes the third-longest railway tunnel in India, T-44, located between Sawalkot and Sangaldan, with a total length of 11.13 kilometers.

Vaishnaw detailed that the project comprises the construction of 36 main tunnels, totaling 119.6 kilometers in length, along with eight escape tunnels that add up to 66.4 kilometers.

He also presented information about the Chenab Bridge, which is the world's highest arch bridge, measuring 1.3 kilometers in length and standing at a height of 359 meters, surpassing the Eiffel Tower in Paris by 35 meters.

On this occasion, Vaishnaw discussed India's first cable-stayed rail bridge, the 'Anji Bridge', which spans 725.5 meters and features a central pillar that rises to 193 meters. Notably, all 96 stay cables were installed within just 11 months, totaling 653 kilometers in length.