Banihal, Jan 24: After the successful inspection of the Banihal-Khari section of USBRL project on January 3, the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) is scheduled to inspect another section of the project from Khari to Sangaldan on January 31 by motor trolley.
“On February 1, CRS will inspect the Sangaldan-Katra section of Kashmir rail project by motor trolley,” an official communique said.
“The inspection by CRS Dinesh Chand Deshwal and team is being conducted on a motor trolley from Khari to Sangaldan in Ramban district on January 31 and from Sangaldan to Katra in Reasi district on February 1 by motor trolley and by road at some places as some portion of Katra-Sangaldan section of rail project is not completed yet,” officials said.
Work on the 111-kilometres long Katra-Banihal section of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is going on in full swing. “The work is nearing completion and Banihal-Khari- Sumber and Sangaldan Railway stations are almost ready for operational purposes,” officials said.
They said that the Commissioner of Railway Safety Dinesh Chand would reach Srinagar on January 30 by air. “He is scheduled to hold a meeting with CEO USBRL, officials of Northern Railway and IRCON international officials soon after his arrival at Srinagar,” they added.
CRS Deshwal and his team will inspect the railway line by motor trolley from Khari railway station to Sangaldan, mostly comprising underground railway tunnels, including 12.75 kilometres long tunnel, – the longest railway tunnel of Indian railways, between Khari (Aarpinchla) and Sumber.
“On February 1, the Commissioner of Railway Safety will inspect the railway line from Sangaldan to Katra by means of a motor trolley and by road and he will move back to Delhi the same evening,” the statement added.
Northern Railway sources told Greater Kashmir, “After the successful motor trolley and safety inspection between Khari and Sangaldan, the chances of starting the rail services up to Sangaldan from Banihal railway station by the month of March are brighter. Few more months up to June-July will be required to connect the Katra-Banihal section of Kashmir rail project as the excavation of railway tunnel number 1 in Reasi district has been completed recently. The work inside this tunnel will take a few more months to complete.”