The 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), one of India's most challenging infrastructure undertakings, is now fully operational after 28 years. The final section was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 7 June 2025, marking the completion of a Rs 110 billion project that began in 1997.

According to Northern Railways, the USBRL project was executed in multiple phases. The first 55 km stretch between Jammu and Udhampur became operational in April 2005. Progress continued with the 68 km Anantnag-Mazhom section opening in October 2008, followed by the 32 km Mazhom-Baramulla line in February 2009. This allowed rail services to operate from Baramulla to Anantnag by the end of that year.

Later in 2009, the line extended southward to Quazigund. A major milestone came in June 2013 with the completion of the Quazigund-Banihal section, including the 11.2 km Pir Panjal tunnel. In July 2014, the Udhampur-Katra line was inaugurated, enhancing connectivity on the Jammu side.

When the Modi government assumed office, rail connectivity was active between Baramulla and Banihal in Kashmir and from Katra to Jammu, with the 111 km Banihal–Katra section still under construction. This final stretch was completed in two parts: Banihal to Sangaldan in February 2024 and Sangaldan to Katra on 6 June 2025.

The newly completed Banihal-Katra section includes the iconic Chenab Bridge—the world’s highest railway arch—and the Anji Bridge, as well as some of India's most technically demanding rail tunnels. Among them is the 12.75 km tunnel between Banihal and Sangaldan, now the country's longest operational rail tunnel.

Officials from Northern Railway described the final stretch as the most complex segment of the project, involving high-altitude construction, seismic challenges, and difficult terrain. The USBRL project now links Kashmir to the national railway network for the first time, enabling greater integration, mobility, and economic development in the region.