Date: 2026-02-06Category: Press ReleaseState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
To Improve Rail Connectivity in the Border Region, DPRs for Qazigund – Srinagar – Budgam Doubling (118 km) & Baramulla to Uri New Line (40 km) Prepared
**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Railways has prepared Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to improve rail connectivity in the border region, specifically for Qazigund – Srinagar – Budgam Doubling (118 km) and Baramulla to Uri New Line (40 km). This is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to boost employment, socio-economic upliftment, and tourism expansion. Sanctioning of the project requires consultation with various stakeholders, but exact timelines cannot be fixed.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Rail Connectivity Enhancements:**
* DPRs have been prepared for:
* Qazigund - Srinagar – Budgam doubling (118 km)
* Baramulla to Uri new line (40 km)
* A survey for Sopore to Kupwara (34 km) New Line was sanctioned and the DPR prepared but the project was deemed infeasible and dropped.
* **USBRL Project:**
* The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of total length 272 Km has been recently commissioned.
* Covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir.
* The USBRL project has generated more than 5 Cr. man-days of employment.
* Included construction of over 215 km of approach roads including a tunnel and 320 small bridges.
* **Project Sanctioning:**
* Requires consultation with stakeholders (State Governments, NITI Aayog, Ministry of Finance).
* Sanctioning is a continuous and dynamic process.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Border Region Population**
* **Impact:** Improved rail connectivity to the valley region, leading to socio-economic improvements and boosting tourism. The USBRL project has created more than 5 Cr. man-days of employment.
* **Action Required:** None specified in the document.
**Stakeholder: State Governments**
* **Impact:** The rail project crosses multiple districts within Jammu and Kashmir.
* **Action Required:** Consultation is required as part of the project sanctioning process.
**Stakeholder: NITI Aayog & Ministry of Finance**
* **Impact:** Involvement in the approval process for the project.
* **Action Required:** Appraisal and approval of the project are required.
Key Entities Referenced
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project: A 272 km rail link project covering districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Detailed Project Report (DPR): A report prepared to improve rail connectivity in the Border region, specifically for Qazigund – Srinagar – Budgam Doubling and Baramulla to Uri New Line.
Ministry of Railways: The ministry responsible for the rail projects and issuing the press release.
Ministry of Railways
To Improve Rail Connectivity in the Border
Region, DPRs for Qazigund – Srinagar –
Budgam Doubling (118 km) & Baramulla to Uri
New Line (40 km) Prepared
USBRL Project Emerges as a Catalyst for Employment,
Socio-Economic Upliftment, and Tourism Expansion
Posted On: 06 FEB 2026 4:27PM by PIB Delhi
To extend the rail connectivity of existing Srinagar – Baramulla section, a survey for Sopore to Kupwara
(34 km) New Line has been sanctioned and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared.
However, the project has been dropped because it was found to be infeasible. To further improve rail
connectivity, in the Border region, the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of following projects have also
been prepared:
· Qazigund – Srinagar – Budgam doubling (118 km)
· Baramulla to Uri new line (40 km)
🛤 Baramulla-Srinagar रल लाइन को और strengthen करग े
🛤 Border areas को जोड़ने के लए Rajouri-Poonch rail line पर काम जारी pic.twitter.co
m/xYsUPek2Ee
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) February 6, 2026
After preparation of DPR, sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders
including State Governments and necessary approvals viz. appraisal of NITI Aayog, Ministry of
Finance etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines cannot
be fixed.
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of total length 272 Km has been recently
commissioned. USBRL project covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar,
Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla of Jammu and Kashmir.
The USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region, with
employment generation being a significant aspect of its impact. The project has generated more than
5 Cr. man-days of employment.
Another crucial facet of the USBRL Project’s socio-economic development efforts has been the
construction of over 215 km of approach roads, which include construction of a tunnel and 320
small bridges. This road network has helped the local population in improvement of theirconnectivity with other areas and also improvement in socio-economic states.
With the all-weather, reliable and comfortable rail connectivity of valley portion with rest of the
Indian Railway network, tourism will get a big boost.
This information was provided by the Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting
and Electronics & InformationTechnology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, in a reply to a question in Rajya
Sabha today.
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Dharmendra Tewari/ Dr. Nayan Solanki
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