With a view to provide an alternative and a reliable transportation system to Jammu & Kashmir, Govt. of India planned a 272 Km. long Railway Line from Udhampur to Baramulla joining the Kashmir valley with the Indian Railways network under Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link Project (USBRL). This project has been the most challenging works undertaken post-independence by Indian Railways. In view of importance of USBRL project in providing seamless and hassle-free connectivity, the Project was declared as "National Project" in 2002. The alignment of USBRL involves construction of a large number of Tunnels and Bridges in highly rugged and mountainous terrain with most difficult and complex Himalayan geology.
This Project involves 38 Tunnels (combined length of 119Km), the longest Tunnel (T-49) is having a length of 12.75 Km and once completed will be country's longest transportation tunnel. There are 927 nos. of Bridges (combined length of 13 Km). These bridges include the iconic Chenab Bridge (Overall length 1315 m, Arch span of 467 m and height of 359 m above river bed) which will be the highest railway bridge in the world. Indian railway's first cable stayed bridge is also being constructed on AnjiKhad.
i. The work on Quazigund - Baramulla section (118 Km) has also been completed and section has been opened to public in three phases. The section from Anantnag to Mazhom (68 KM) was opened to the public by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 11/10/08. The section from Mazhom to Baramulla (32 KM) was inaugurated and dedicated to the nation on 14.02.09.The section from Quazigund to Anantnag (18 km) was opened to the public by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 28/10/09.
ii. The section from Quazigund to Banihal (18 Km) involving Pir Panjal Tunnel, the longest transportation tunnel in India of total 11.215 Km length has also been opened to the Public by the Hon'ble Prime Minister on 26.06.2013. The block section from Quazigund to Banihal is a part of Katra-Quazigund section of the project, wherein the alignment passes through the world's most difficult terrain, both in terms of logistic and geological strata.
iii. Udhampur - Katra which is 25 Km long has been opened to traffic by Hon'ble Prime Minister on 4th July 2014.