Railways Clears Jammu-Katra Line Doubling Survey
RAILWAYS & METRO RAIL

Railways Clears Jammu-Katra Line Doubling Survey

The Ministry of Railways has approved the final location survey for doubling the Jammu–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway line, which spans approximately 78 km. The Northern Railway will oversee the execution of this project.
Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, stated that the survey, covering a 77.96-km stretch, will cost an estimated Rs 125.9 million. He emphasised that this step lays the groundwork for the construction of a future double-track railway line.
The proposed doubling is expected to enhance convenience and comfort for pilgrims travelling to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Beyond religious tourism, the line is also projected to strengthen the region's broader economic infrastructure.
Currently, the Jammu-Katra section operates as a single line through Udhampur under the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which limits operational flexibility. This constraint hampers the addition of new services and the ability to manage high traffic during peak pilgrimage periods.
The successful commissioning of the USBRL project has integrated the Kashmir Valley into the national railway grid, increasing passenger inflows. The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, in particular, has received a strong response from both tourists and residents. Against this backdrop, the approval for the final location survey reflects the Railway Ministry’s commitment to addressing the region’s expanding transport demands. 

The Ministry of Railways has approved the final location survey for doubling the Jammu–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway line, which spans approximately 78 km. The Northern Railway will oversee the execution of this project.Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, stated that the survey, covering a 77.96-km stretch, will cost an estimated Rs 125.9 million. He emphasised that this step lays the groundwork for the construction of a future double-track railway line.The proposed doubling is expected to enhance convenience and comfort for pilgrims travelling to the Vaishno Devi shrine. Beyond religious tourism, the line is also projected to strengthen the region's broader economic infrastructure.Currently, the Jammu-Katra section operates as a single line through Udhampur under the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which limits operational flexibility. This constraint hampers the addition of new services and the ability to manage high traffic during peak pilgrimage periods.The successful commissioning of the USBRL project has integrated the Kashmir Valley into the national railway grid, increasing passenger inflows. The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, in particular, has received a strong response from both tourists and residents. Against this backdrop, the approval for the final location survey reflects the Railway Ministry’s commitment to addressing the region’s expanding transport demands. 

Related Stories

Gold Stories

Next Story
Resources

Schindler named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026

Schindler has been named among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers 2026, a global ranking recognising companies for their workplace environments.Compiled by Forbes in partnership with Statista, the ranking is based on independent employee feedback, including whether employees would recommend their organisation to friends and family.The company said the recognition reflected its focus on creating a workplace where employees can develop their expertise and build careers. ..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

India needs an export-execution mindset: Vishesh Jain

Interview with Vishesh Jain, Founder & CEO, EximpleWhat gaps in India’s global trade ecosystem led you to build Eximple, and what problem did you see businesses struggling with most?Eximple came out of a problem that all three founders had seen from different choke points in the trade ecosystem. India has millions of MSMEs and manufacturers, and many of them can make products that are genuinely competitive on quality. Yet only a small fraction is able to build meaningful international businesses. In our experience, the gap is usually not manufacturing capability; it is the ability to exe..

Next Story
Building Material

Nuvoco reports 13.5% revenue growth in Q2 FY27

Nuvoco Vistas Corp. Ltd. reported consolidated revenue of Rs 27.9 billion for Q2 FY27, up 13.5% year on year. Cement sales volume rose 9% to 4.7 million tonnes (MMT), while EBITDA increased 11% to Rs 4.11 billion.The company said it began its cement operations in 2014 with a 2.3 MMT per annum (MMTPA) operation at Nimbol. It now aims to reach 35 MMTPA of cement capacity by FY28, nearly 15 times its initial capacity. Its portfolio spans cement, ready-mix concrete and modern building materials.On sustainability and cost efficiency, Nuvoco partnered with CleanMax for a 46.4 MW wind-solar hybrid re..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

SPECIAL OFFER
QR Code