The JammuâÂÂBaramulla line (including the UdhampurâÂÂSrinagarâÂÂBaramula Rail Link (USBRL) subsection) is a 324 km long railway between the cities of Jammu and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir India. It is fully operational as of 7 June 2025. Connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, this rail link has major geostrategic importance for the Indian armed forces. It has reduced the travel time between Jammu and Srinagar from 7 hours to 3 hours; it also connects the important religious pilgrimage sites of Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Amarnath Temple.
Completed in several phases, this link entails several engineering achievements including the Chenab Bridge - world's highest railway bridge, the Anji Khad Bridge - India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, the Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel (Banihal railway tunnel) - India's longest railway tunnel as of 2025, and the T33 tunnel, which, while short, is immensely challenging as it punches through the Main Boundary Thrust of the Himalayas.
In 1972, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi opened the newly laid railway line from Kathua to Jammu Tawi, and in 1983 she laid foundation stone for Jammu-Udhampur section of railway line. In 1994, while the Jammu-Udhampur line was still under-construction it's extension to Baramulla was announced by the Prime minister PV Narsimharao.
In 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurates the operational Jammu-Udhampur railway line construction of which was delayed by 21 years, He also inaugurated Anantnag-Mazhom section in 2008, Mazhom/Pattan-Baramulla section in 2009, Anantnag-Qazigund section in 2009, Qazigund-Banihal section in 2013.
In January 2025, Jammu Railway Division was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a newly created division carved out from the Firozpur Division, and the responsibility for the Jammu-Baramaulla line was transferred from Firozpur Division to Jammu Railway Division.
During the construction there were several fatal accidents, including death of Altaf Hussain, a Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) labourer in June 2005 by a tunnel collapse in Tathyar, the drowning of two girls in an excavated ditch on 16 May 2007, the death of Nepali labourer Tika Ram Balwari after being struck by a boulder in the Uri Varmul on 14 February 2008, the death of five occupants after a dump truck rolled into a deep gorge in Lower Juda More (near Kouri in Reasi district) on 18 April 2008, and the death of two workers, Abdul Rahman (age 34) and Jumma Baksh (24) at Chenab River bridge on 27 March 2011 when the basket in which they were riding (attached to a crane) unhooked and fell over 100 metres.
The railway crosses over 750 bridges and pass through over of tunnels.
Main bridges are:
Although the rail line is being built through a mountainous region, a one-percent ruling gradient has been set to provide a safe, smooth, reliable journey. Bank engines will not be required, making the journey quicker and smoother. It will use broad gauge continuous welded rail laid on concrete sleepers, with a minimum curve radius of 676 m. The maximum speed will be . Provision for future track doubling is made on major bridges.
There are Closed-circuit television cameras at major bridges, tunnels and stations, and all major bridges and tunnels are illuminated. Three-aspect colour-light signalling is installed on the route for safety, and GSM-R equipment will be installed in the future to improve its quality.
Maintenance workshop is at Badgam, north of Srinagar. It is owned-operated by Indian Railways's Jammu Railway Division of Northern zone.
The total project cost in 2022 was INR28,000 crore (~US$3.5 billion).
The line was one of the most difficult rail project undertaken on the Indian subcontinent. The young Himalayas are geologically surprising and problematic. The track's alignment presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced; only Tibet's Qingzang Railway, completed in 2006 across permafrost and climbing to over above sea level, is comparable. Although the Indian temperatures are less severe, the region experiences harsh winters with heavy snowfall. In the Pir Panjal Range, most peaks exceed in height.
Indian Railways (IR) is overall responsible for the construction of Udhampur-Katra section. IR's subsidiary Konkan Railway Corporation was responsible for the construction of Katra-Laole section, arguably the line's most difficult portion, with over 92 percent tunnels or bridgesâ of bridges and of tunnels. Ircon International, a public-sector company, was responsible for the construction of Dharam-Qazigund-Baramulla section and Hindustan Construction Company built the Pir Panjal tunnel on this section at the cost of â¹900 crore. Afcons Infrastructure Limited and South Korea's Ultra Engineering designed and built the Chenab Bridge for around â¹974 crore. Gammon India and South Africa's Archirodon Construction built the Anji Khad Bridge for â¹745 crore.
The construction of railway line was divided into four phases:
This rail link makes several tourist and religious locations more easily accessible at faster travel speed and shorter travel time: Katra - the base town of the Vaishno Devi|Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, Reasi, Pahalgam, Aharbal, Gulmarg, Verinag, Qazigund, Anantnag, and Mazhom near Pattan, Dal Lake, Lolab Valley and Mughal Road.
Vande Bharat Express, air-conditioned, medium to long-distance train service operated by Indian Railways runs on this route. The heated and air-conditioned coaches have wide windows, sliding doors, reclining seats, and a snow-cutting cattle guard is attached to the front of the train to clear snow from the tracks during winter. Due to the valley's cold climate, the 1,400-horsepower diesel engine has a heating system for quick, trouble-free starts. Coaches have a public-information system (display and announcements) and a pneumatic suspension for riding comfort. There is a compartment for the physically disabled, with wider doors.
Freight service (grain and petroleum products) run between the 10âÂÂ12 daily passenger trains.
See planned new rail lines in Jammu and Kashmir.
Jammu-Baramulla line provides partial rail connectivity to Kargil and Leh, which have the following alternative existing and under-construction connectivity.