5 New Rail Surveys Underway in J-K, Srinagar-Leh-Kargil Rail Line Plan Dropped

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Dil Bar Irshad | March 13, 2025 | 09:00 AM IST | Breaking News, Jammu Kashmir | Follow on Google News

5 New Rail Surveys Underway in J-K, Srinagar-Leh-Kargil Rail Line Plan Dropped

The central government has stated that surveys of five new rail projects are underway in Jammu and Kashmir, while the existing project of the Srinagar-Leh-Kargil rail line has been dropped.

The center has not pursued the project further due to high costs and low traffic projections. Earlier, the cost of the 480-km route project was estimated to cost Rs 55,896 crore. The survey of this existing project was conducted in 2016-17. However, now the center has hinted to not proceed with this plan and dropped it in mid-flight, citing the above-mentioned reasons.

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Member of Parliament (MP) Mohmad Haneefa in the Lok Sabha asked about the status of this question, to which Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed about the project status. The concerned minister also stated that due to the feasibility concerns, the Jammu-Poonch line remains stalled yet. Further stated that the center has prioritised the Banihal-Baramulla rail line doubling project.

The minister further rejected any immediate plan for a rail link between Ganderbal in Kashmir & Kargil in Ladakh. Though the region is of strategic importance, no immediate plan is there to take it on.

There is also no immediate plan to construct the rail link from Reasi-Katra to Rajouri.

The five new rail surveys conducted in Jammu and Kashmir include Baramulla-Uri New Line (46 km), Sopore-Kupwara New Line (37 km), Anantnag-Pahalgam New Line (78 km), Avantipore-Shopian New Line (28 km), and Banihal-Baramulla Doubling (118 km).

Dil Bar Irshad

Dil Bar Irshad is a seasoned journalist, hails from Jammu Kashmir's Doda, covers political, social, business stories, index stories.