The Indian Railways has scripted history with a successful 'rising grade' speed trial in the challenging terrain from Jammu and Kashmir's Katra to Banihal along the USBRL project. Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared the video on X sharing the trial run details. The Indian Railways also conducted a speedy trial on the world's highest railway bridge on the Chenab River. The success of the trial run indicates an early start to direct rail services between Kashmir and the rest of the country. With this, one can take a train journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari by changing trains at just one or two stations.


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The trial run at 110 kilometres per hour on the steep 180-degree rising grade between Katra and Banihal marks a historic milestone for Indian Railways. Railway officials expressed pride in the smooth execution of the trial, crediting the remarkable efforts of engineers who overcame numerous challenges to achieve this feat.



The newly completed railway line is a testament to world-class infrastructure. During the trial, the train navigated T-30 (Tunnel-30) at a speed of 110 km/h. Despite the technical complexities faced during its construction, the engineers successfully resolved them, ensuring precise track alignment to handle high-speed operations, officials said.


Last month, Rail Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the completion of the Reasi-Katra section, a major breakthrough in connecting Kashmir to the rest of India after nearly three decades of persistent efforts.



On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was conducted on the Katra-Banihal section. The Railways have conducted six trial runs over the past month on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.


Of the total 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 kilometres were commissioned in phases. Officials said the dream project to link Kashmir by train was started in 1997 and missed several deadlines due to geological, topographical and meteorological challenges.