The Centre has put the proposed Baramulla–Uri rail line and Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam doubling project on hold months after the USBRL’s full commissioning.

The Centre has put two major railway expansion proposals in Jammu and Kashmir — the Baramulla–Uri new line and the Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam doubling project — on hold, with the Railway Board informing Northern Railway that the proposals have been returned by the Cabinet Secretariat and are “no longer under consideration”.

The decision, conveyed through a Railway Board communication dated September 10, comes months after the completion of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which connected the Kashmir Valley to the national railway network. The move effectively stalls the next phase of railway expansion that was expected to increase capacity and extend connectivity deeper into north Kashmir’s frontier belt.

The 40-km Baramulla–Uri line, which would have extended the railway network towards Uri near the Line of Control, had been viewed as strategically significant. Rail connectivity to Uri could have provided faster and more weather-resilient logistical movement in a sensitive border sector where road links are vulnerable to landslides, snow and other disruptions.

The proposal had reached the Detailed Project Report (DPR) stage but had not received final approval.

A senior Railway official said preparation of a DPR “does not constitute approval”, adding that projects could be returned due to “utility, financial availability, or other considerations”. The official also said the proposals could be revived in the future if circumstances change.

The second project involves doubling the 118-km Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam corridor, which forms a key part of the Valley’s railway network. The proposed doubling was intended to increase capacity in anticipation of higher passenger and freight traffic following the commissioning of the USBRL.

The project was also expected to ease congestion, improve punctuality and facilitate greater freight movement, including the transportation of horticultural produce to markets outside the Kashmir Valley.

Both projects were notified as Special Railway Projects in July this year, while the Ministry of Railways had earlier informed Parliament that their DPRs had been completed. However, the ministry had also clarified that completion of a DPR does not amount to approval, which requires stakeholder consultations as well as clearances from NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.

This is not the first time a proposed railway expansion in Kashmir has been halted. The Railways had earlier abandoned a proposal to extend the network towards Shopian in south Kashmir after farmers opposed land acquisition, citing concerns over the impact on orchards and agricultural land.

The latest decision comes against the backdrop of the full commissioning of the USBRL in 2025, a major infrastructure project featuring engineering landmarks such as the Chenab Rail Bridge and the Anji Khad cable-stayed bridge.

The USBRL has also demonstrated its strategic utility. In December last year, the Indian Army moved tanks, artillery and engineering equipment from Jammu to Anantnag using a Military Special Train, highlighting the railway’s potential role in rapid deployment and logistics.

With direct Jammu–Srinagar rail services now operational, the Valley’s railway network has emerged as an important economic and strategic link. However, the proposed expansion towards Uri and the doubling of the Valley corridor remain on hold for now.


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