A new Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Delhi, from December 30, will have stoppage at Udhampur and Kathua railway stations also, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed on Sunday.

In a series of posts on X, Singh said, “Heartening news for Udhampur and Kathua. Ever since the first Vande Bharat train started operating from #Katra and Delhi in 2019, there had been a consistent demand for its stoppage in Kathua and Udhampur as well. Thanks Prime Minister Narendra Modi for responding to our request.”

“The new Vande Bharat from Katra to Delhi starting 30 December will have a Stop in Udhampur and Kathua also. This will not only come as a huge relief but also provide ease of travel, ease of business and overall ease of living,” Singh added.

The Indian Railways also achieved a significant milestone in the Udhampur-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project with the successful completion of Tunnel T-1, measuring 3,209 meters, between Katra and Reasi Stations on December 20.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is considered the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-Independence, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Wednesday in the Lok Sabha.

“The USBRL project is perhaps the most difficult new railway line project undertaken in the country post-Independence. The terrain passes through young Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

“The work of the new line in Jammu and Kashmir is being undertaken under the USBRL project. Out of the total 272 km of the project, 161 km has already been commissioned,” Vaishnaw said.

He also said, “The work on the Katra-Banihal (111 km) section has been taken up. Anticipated cost of the project is Rs 37,012 crore, against which, expenditure of Rs 34,261 crore has been incurred up to March, 2023 on the project. An outlay of Rs 5,310 crore has been allocated for the year 2023-24.”

The T-1 tunnel is positioned at the base of the Trikuta Hills near Katra in Reasi district and is a crucial component of the project, overseen by the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd for the Northern Railway under the National Projects initiative.