Jammu–Baramulla line

. In 1972, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi opened the newly laid railway line from Kathua to Jammu Tawi, and in 1983 she laid foundation stone for Jammu-Udhampur section of railway line. In 1994, while the Jammu-Udhampur line was still under-construction it's extension to Baramulla was announced by the Prime minister PV Narsimharao. In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurates the operational Jammu-Udhampur railway line construction of which was delayed by 21 years, He also inaugurated Anantnag-Mazhom section in 2008, Mazhom/Pattan-Baramulla section in 2009, Anantnag-Qazigund section in 2009, Qazigund-Banihal section in 2013. In January 2025, Jammu Railway Division was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a newly created division carved out from the Firozpur Division, and the responsibility for the Jammu-Baramaulla line was transferred from Firozpur Division to Jammu Railway Division. Accidents During the construction there were several fatal accidents, including death of Altaf Hussain, a Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) labourer in June 2005 by a tunnel collapse in Tathyar, the drowning of two girls in an excavated ditch on 16 May 2007, the death of Nepali labourer Tika Ram Balwari after being struck by a boulder in the Uri Varmul on 14 February 2008, the death of five occupants after a dump truck rolled into a deep gorge in Lower Juda More (near Kouri in Reasi district) on 18 April 2008, and the death of two workers, Abdul Rahman (age 34) and Jumma Baksh (24) at Chenab River bridge on 27 March 2011 when the basket in which they were riding (attached to a crane) unhooked and fell over 100 metres. ==Features==

The railway crosses over 750 bridges and pass through over of tunnels. Bridges Main bridges are: The Banihal railway station is 1,702 m (5,584 ft) above mean sea level, and trains run from Banihal to Qazigund through the tunnel. The 5 km Banganga section was expected to be operational before the completion date of 2017–18 for the entire project. Built with the New Austrian tunnelling method, and a number of challenges have been encountered while tunnelling through the geologically young, unstable Sivalik Hills, requiring drastic solutions with steel arches and several feet of shotcrete and lattice girder support. Gradient Although the rail line is being built through a mountainous region, a one-percent ruling gradient has been set to provide a safe, smooth, reliable journey. Bank engines will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will use broad gauge continuous welded rail laid on concrete sleepers, with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. The maximum speed will be . ==Construction==

The total project cost in 2022 was INR28,000 crore (~US$3.5 billion). Challenges The line was one of the most difficult rail project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent. The young Himalayas are geologically surprising and problematic. Afcons Infrastructure Limited and South Korea's Ultra Engineering designed and built the Chenab Bridge for around ₹974 crore. Gammon India and South Africa's Archirodon Construction built the Anji Khad Bridge for ₹745 crore. Phases The construction of railway line was divided into four phases: • Phase-1, operational since 2005, 53 km long from Jammu to Udhampur, was built over 21 years. • Phase-2, operational since 4 July 2014, 25 km from Udhampur to Katra, includes 7 tunnels and 30 bridges. • Phase-3, operational since 13 December 2024, 111 km from Katra to Banihal, has a total of 35 tunnels (includes 27 main and 8 escape tunnels), • Phase-4, operational since 26 June 2013, 135 km long section from Banihal to Baramulla runs across the Pir Panjal Range from Baramulla to Banihal. ==Route==

This rail link makes several tourist and religious locations more easily accessible at faster travel speed and shorter travel time: Katra - the base town of the Vaishno Devi|Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Reasi, Pahalgam, Aharbal, Gulmarg, Verinag, Qazigund, Anantnag, and Mazhom near Pattan, Dal Lake, Lolab Valley and Mughal Road. ==Train services==

. Passenger services Vande Bharat Express, air-conditioned, medium to long-distance train service operated by Indian Railways runs on this route. Freight service Freight service (grain and petroleum products) run between the 10–12 daily passenger trains. == Future extension==

See planned new rail lines in Jammu and Kashmir. ==Alternate connectivity==

Jammu-Baramulla line provides partial rail connectivity to Kargil and Leh, which have the following alternative existing and under-construction connectivity. • Rail • Bhanupli–Leh line - under-construction, via Manali, Darcha, Pangi Valley, and Meroo. • Road • NH-1 Uri-Leh, existing, via Baramulla, Srinagar, Drass and Kargil. • Leh–Manali Highway, existing, via Meroo, Pangi, and Darcha. ==Present status==

• June 2025: The construction of the entire route from Jammu to Baramulla was complete and made operational when Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off a Jammu-Baramulla train on 6 June 2025, with future plans for several new rail lines extensions across Kashmir Valley. ==See also==