By Lynda Myer
Linking two stations on the Banihal-Katra railway link with 111km length, which is now under construction, a 9.8km tunnel on the Banihal-Katra railway link in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir has been completed.
Considering as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) project, the intended line is being built.
In January 2022, the T-49B tunnel with 12.6 km length, which is claimed to be the longest tunnel of Indian Railways, was completed, while the overarch deck of the rail bridge was completed with a golden joint over the Chenab river in the Kouri area of the Reasi district and it is recognized as the highest rail bridge in the world.
According to an official: “We have succeeded in completing the construction work on the tunnel between Dugga and Sawlakote stations in the Katra-Banihal section of the USBRL.”
Placed on the Jammu end, the Dugga railway station was connected with Basindadar (Sawalkote) railway station at the Srinagar end, once the tunnel’s construction was completed.
With the whole length of 272km, the USBRL project’s 161km was launched in phases.
The date of commissioning the first phase of the 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was October 2009, whereas the 18km Banihal-Qazigund was started up in June 2013, and the 25km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014.
The 111km Katra-Banihal section features 37 bridges and 35 tunnels.
