Connecting bridge
• The 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project connects Kashmir Valley to India’s national rail network.
• The Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, is built to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km per hour.
• The Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, is built to last 120 years.
• The USBRL link, costing ₹43,780 crore, saw the construction of 36 tunnels and 943 bridges.
• The Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar and Katra, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reduces the journey to three hours.
• The direct train service between New Delhi and Srinagar will allow commuters to reach base in just 13 hours.
• The train service brings renewed hope to the region after the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025.
• The rail link is described as a symbol of a new, empowered J&K.