Kashmir Is Now on Track—And It’s More Than Just Steel and Stone
By TheTrendingPeople.com Opinion Desk
For the first time since Independence, the phrase “Kashmir to Kanyakumari” is no longer just a poetic metaphor. It is a literal, engineered reality—backed by 28 years of grit, ₹43,780 crore in investment, and some of the most audacious civil engineering ever attempted in the Himalayas.
With the formal completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), Kashmir is now part of the Indian railway grid. And that’s not just a geographic achievement. It’s a psychological, political, and economic turning point for India—and especially for the people of Jammu & Kashmir.
Steel Arteries of Unity
Let’s start with the facts. The USBRL project, running 272 kilometres through some of the world’s toughest terrain, has not just connected towns. It has stitched together a divided imagination. For decades, Kashmir was the place where Indian trains didn’t go—where mountains, militancy, and mistrust isolated a region from the rest of the country.
Today, thanks to engineering marvels like the Chenab Bridge—the world’s highest railway arch bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower—and the Anji Khad cable-stayed bridge, India has done the seemingly impossible.
It has put rail tracks across the Himalayas.
More than 119 km of tunnels. Over 943 bridges. Winds that could hit 260 km/h. And still, the project stood firm.
This is more than infrastructure. This is intent cast in steel.
Development on Rails
The newly flagged-off Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar and Katra covers the distance in just 3 hours—what once took an entire day, through perilous roads and security checkpoints, is now a short, comfortable ride.
Later this year, a direct train from New Delhi to Srinagar will cut travel time in half—from over 24 hours to 13. The implications are massive.
- Tourism will surge—not just pilgrims to Vaishno Devi, but trekkers, explorers, and honeymooners heading to the valley.
- Students from the region can access the rest of India more freely.
- Markets will open up to Kashmiri artisans, growers, and businesses like never before.
And most importantly, perception will change. When you can board a train in Delhi and disembark in Srinagar, Kashmir stops feeling like a conflict zone and starts feeling like just another part of India.
That’s not trivial. That’s transformative.
A Symbol After a Storm
This achievement comes at a time when the region has once again been tested. Just weeks ago, the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor led to renewed hostilities with Pakistan. Eighteen Indians were killed, over 1,500 homes destroyed. The ceasefire was scrapped.
It could have derailed the narrative. But instead, the inauguration of the rail link by Prime Minister Modi reasserted a different message: that India will not be held hostage by extremism.
By calling the bridge a “symbol of a new, empowered J&K,” Mr. Modi hit the right note. Connectivity is empowerment. It reduces dependency, increases mobility, and brings dignity.
Beyond Symbolism: The Real Integration Begins Now
Let’s be honest—this project has taken decades, involved cost overruns, environmental hurdles, and political inertia. But it is now done.
The challenge now is to make it mean something.
A railway line won’t end terrorism. A bridge can’t erase history. But what it can do is shift momentum.
It can create jobs. Invite industry. Enable students. Empower women. Improve logistics. Encourage dialogue. And—most crucially—bring a sense of normalcy to a place that has seen little of it for over three decades.
The rail link is not the end of the journey. It is the track that can take Kashmir toward a new beginning.
What Kashmir Needs Next
Now that the bridge has been built—both physically and metaphorically—India must keep crossing it:
- Security must go hand-in-hand with civic engagement.
- Tourism must be matched with infrastructure and sustainability.
- Investments must be complemented by education and health access.
This is also the time to re-engage Kashmir’s youth—many of whom now look beyond politics, toward opportunity. A job at a startup in Bengaluru should not feel out of reach to someone in Baramulla.
From Isolation to Integration
The symbolism of a train crossing the Chenab Bridge, whistling through the clouds into the Valley, cannot be overstated. It is a reminder that no region, however remote or restive, is beyond reach—if the will is strong and the purpose clear.
India’s unity is often spoken about in speeches. But today, it is etched across mountain passes, held by cables, and echoed in the rhythm of wheels turning on iron rails through Kashmir.
Let the train roll on.
TheTrendingPeople.com Opinion Desk
Where insight meets impact.