The much-awaited rail section connecting Jammu region to the Kashmir Valley will be inaugurated on Wednesday. The Qazigund-Banihal railway line will be the first rail link between the two regions of the northern State. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will flag off the first train on this section on Wednesday.
The first trial run between Qazigund in Kashmir valley and Banihal in Jammu region, covering a distance of nearly 18 km, was conducted on December 28 last year. This section also includes an 11.215-km long tunnel T-80 across the Pir Panjal range, which is direct connection between the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region.
It will have two main railway stations — Banihal in Jammu division and Qazigund in Kashmir division. In addition to these stations, a halt station is also being provided at Hillar village in Anantnag district for the convenience of local public. Train service is already operational within the Kashmir Valley in the 118-km-long route between Qazigund and Baramulla in north Kashmir.
As many as 39 bridges have been constructed in Qazigund-Banihal section, which includes two major bridges. An expenditure of `1,691 crore has been incurred by the Railways to complete this section.
“Tunnel T-80 is the longest transportation tunnel in India. It has been executed using New Austrian Tunnel Method (NATM) for the first time in India,” IRCON Director (Works) Hitesh Khanna. Ircon International ltd, a PSU under the Ministry of Railways, has been the principal executing agency for Northern Railway to execute this work.
This section will provide all-weather connectivity between Jammu region and the Valley and will significantly reduced travel time. The 18-km rail line between Banihal and Qazigund is nearly half of the road distance of 35 km between these two locations.