The Ministry of Railways has prepared detailed project reports for doubling the Qazigund-Srinagar-Budgam section, covering 118 km, and for a new line from Baramulla to Uri, covering 40 km. A survey for a Sopore to Kupwara new line of 34 km had been sanctioned and its DPR prepared, but the project was dropped when it was found infeasible. The DPRs have been prepared to extend rail connectivity in the border region and to strengthen the existing Srinagar-Baramulla section.

After DPR preparation, project sanctioning requires consultation with various stakeholders including state governments and approvals such as appraisal by NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. The ministry indicated that sanctioning is a continuous and dynamic process and that exact timelines cannot be fixed.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project of total length 272 km has been recently commissioned and covers the districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir. The ministry stated that the USBRL project has made substantial socio-economic contributions to the region and has acted as a catalyst for employment and connectivity improvements. The enhanced rail link has provided an all-weather, reliable and comfortable connection between the valley portion and the rest of the Indian Railway network.

The project has generated more than 50 million (mn) man-days of employment and has delivered important infrastructure, including the construction of over 215 km of approach roads, one tunnel and 320 small bridges. This road network has helped the local population to improve their connectivity with other areas and to advance socio-economic conditions. The ministry noted that improved rail connectivity is expected to give a significant boost to tourism and to support broader regional development.