Inauguration of Vande Bharat Trains and USBRL Project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Srinagar and Katra on June 6. This event marks the completion of a significant project aimed at linking Kashmir with the rest of India, initiated 42 years ago.

Completion of the USBRL Project

•  The last segment of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL) is the 111-km Katra-Banihal section, completed in January. 
•  The project faced delays due to inclement weather forecasts and a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. 
•  The inauguration was further postponed due to the conflict between India and Pakistan. 
•  The total cost of the USBRL is over Rs 43,000 crore, with Rs 35,000 crore spent on the Katra-Banihal section. 

Vande Bharat Train Services

•  Two Vande Bharat trains will operate exclusively between Srinagar and Katra for now. 
•  Passengers must change trains at Katra Railway Station for onward journeys. 
•  This requirement is partly due to ongoing expansion at the Jammu Railway Yard, expected to complete by August-September. 
•  Political leaders in Kashmir have expressed concerns over additional security checks, arguing it undermines the purpose of the train service. 

Historical Context and Project Progress

•  The foundation stone for the Udhampur-Srinagar railway line was laid in 1983 by the Indira Gandhi-led Congress government. 
•  Significant progress was made after the A. B. Vajpayee-led NDA government declared it a national project in 2002. 

Administrative Developments

•  The newly formed Jammu Division, headquartered at Jammu Tawi, became operational under Northern Railway. 
•  This division oversees areas transferred from the Firozpur Division, one of the oldest in Indian Railways. 
•  Local trains currently operate on a 184-km stretch between Sangaldan and Baramulla and a 25-km section between Udhampur and Katra.