The Centre has put two major railway expansion projects in Jammu and Kashmir on hold, months after the full commissioning of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).
The projects include the proposed 40-km Baramulla–Uri railway line and the 118-km doubling of the Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam railway corridor. The Railway Board informed Northern Railway that the proposals had been returned by the Cabinet Secretariat and were “no longer under consideration.”
The Baramulla–Uri line was proposed to extend rail connectivity towards Uri, near the Line of Control. The project was expected to improve transport and logistics in the border region.
The doubling project was planned to increase capacity, ease congestion and support rising passenger and freight traffic across the Kashmir Valley, including the transportation of horticultural produce.
Although detailed project reports had been prepared, neither project had received final approval. The Railway Board said the proposals could be revived in the future if circumstances change.
The decision comes after the completion of the USBRL, which connected the Kashmir Valley to the national railway network.
