Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, May 16: The Northern Railway in Kashmir is extending the region’s train infrastructure up to the Line of Control (LoC), connecting the border town of Uri in north Kashmir with the broad-gauge railway line, much to the relief of locals who have long struggled with commuting issues.
The extension of the train link up to the border region of Uri is expected to improve connectivity for the local population and make it easier for them to commute to Baramulla, Srinagar, and even up to Banihal on the national highway that connects Srinagar and Jammu. Furthermore, it will positively impact trade and business, as the authorities have opened up the border areas, including Uri, for tourists.
For many students and professionals residing in Uri and the surrounding districts, the daily commute to Uri has been time-consuming and challenging. They are overjoyed with the news that there will be a train service to Uri.
“This is a good and significant decision because it will improve connectivity. There is just one road that connects Baramulla’s administrative centre, so we wish to develop new routes to connect the city to other places. We applaud the Government’s decision because it will increase trade in this area and enhance development prospects generally,” a local said.
The impact of the Government’s statement goes beyond improved connectivity. The improvement of train services is expected to drastically cut unemployment rates in Uri, a historically underdeveloped region.
In order to assist in the construction of the train link to Uri, the Northern Railways has opened a tender for engineering survey work. Modern techniques, including aerial survey (aerial photogrammetric survey or aerial LIDAR) and DGPS (Differential Global Positioning System), will be used in the survey. The 50-kilometer railway connecting Baramulla and Uri will likely have its final location survey (FLS) completed within three months of the tenders being awarded.
Saqib Yousuf, Chief Area Manager of the Kashmir Railways, told Excelsior that the survey is being undertaken for the extension of the rail link to Uri. “It will be decided up to which section of Uri the train link will be extended after the survey is finished, based on its viability,” he said.
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