Jammu, Jul 28: The Northern Railway has achieved another milestone of breaking through the escape tunnel T-48 on the Katra–Banihal section of under construction Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL) project that would link the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country on the rail network.

Officials said as part of part of the 272-kilometers USBRL, the project aims to provide an alternative surface link between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

General Manager, Northern Railway, Ashutosh Gangal said that Northern Railway has achieved a major milestone in Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project by executing the break-through of escape tunnel T-48 between Sumber and Sangaldan station in Ramban district on the ongoing Katra-Banihal Section.

“The line and level of the escape tunnel is precisely achieved in break-through. T-48 is an escape tunnel of length 9.694 kilometers long and 5.30 meters, dia, modified horseshoe shape,” Deepak Kumar, Chief Public Relations Officer, Railways said.

He further said that the tunnel is a link between Sumber station and Sangaldan station. This tunnel breakthrough will be a key milestone for the entire USBRL Project.

The work is underway on the Kashmir railway project in a 110 kilometres long rail line between Katra and Banihal and it is likely to be completed by 2023.