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The “Metro” of Kashmir

Young Bites. Dated: 11/22/2017 10:17:20 AM

By:- Syed Bilal (Srinagar)
The alignment for the Kashmir Railway presents one of the greatest railway engineering challenges ever faced, with the only contest coming from the China-Tibet rail route which crosses permanently frozen ground and climbs to more than 5,000m above sea level. While the temperatures of the Kashmir Railway area are not as severe as China, it does still experience extreme winters with heavy snowfalls. However, making the route even more complex is the requirement to pass through the Himalayan foothills.
The route includes many bridges, viaducts, and tunnels – the lower section of the railway crosses a total of 158 bridges and passes through 20 tunnels. Even though the line is being built in a mountainous region, a ruling gradient of 1% has been set to provide a safe, smooth and reliable journey. It is being built to the Indian standard gauge of 1,676mm gauge, laid on concrete sleepers with continuous welded rail and with a minimum curve radius of 676m. Maximum line speed is 100km/h (60mph).The Kashmir line will connect with the Indian Railways railhead at Jammu, where a 60km access route has been built to Udhampur. The main sections of the route are between Udhampur and Qazigund – 75% in tunnels and the responsibility of Konkan Railway Construction Corporation, however the work on Banihal to Udhampur is in progress – with the Qazigund-Baramulla section constructed by Indian Railways. Rolling stock for the new route will be from the existing national fleet. Both passenger and freight trains will use the new railway into and out of Kashmir. Passenger services will be provided by diesel multiple units. The service will at first be provided on a 45km section of the Qazigund-Baramulla section, running initially between Rajwansher and Anwantipora. Freight services conveying grain and petroleum products will run in between the ten to 12 passenger’s services that are planned to operate daily. An eight-coach DEMU will run on the Qazigund-Baramulla section of line. The coaches were transported to the valley by using specially modified road trailers and each coach will carry 90 passengers. It will run twice a day in both directions. The train has been fixed with a snow cutter system for clearing snow on the track. The temperature in coaches can also be maintained at 20°C during winter. As currently work is going on the section between Jammu and Banihal, thus making this another separate leg of the journey. When complete, this will be a part of the greater Kashmir railway which will connect Jammu to Baramulla, or rather the plains to the Valley. The journey promises a refreshing ride through the Kashmir Valley, Weaving through the snowcapped peaks at a distance and the Chinar trees all around. The best part of taking this journey is during the winters when the surroundings are filled with snow. There is only the option of an unreserved DEMU train currently on this route. Three-aspect color light signaling is being installed on the route to maintain train safety. GSM-R equipment may be installed in the future to improve the quality of the system. There has also been mention of the Konkan Railway Corporation’s ACD (Anti-Collision Device) being supplied for equipment on the line. However, security for the line has been a major concern, with the regions the line passes through continuing to face terrorist challenges. Due to proximity with the Line of Control between Pakistan Administered Kashmir and Indian Administered Jammu and Kashmir, these challenges aggravate Plans for closed circuit cameras at all major bridges, tunnels and railway stations have been made. Lighting is provided on all major bridges and inside tunnels. Additionally, security arrangements to protect the infrastructure are being discussed. The recreation and attraction will get enhanced to the train service when the formulated plan to introduce Vista dome Trains will be implemented. Aiming to provide a delightful traveling experience to the picturesque Kashmir Valley here, the Railways on Thursday announced a Vista dome train which would also serve Kashmiri Wazwan cuisine to tourists. “Tourists need to enjoy the beauty of the Valley,” Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said. He said Kashmiri cuisine would make it to the catering list of the railways. “The chief minister and I have talked about how to increase tourism by virtue of Railways. So, we will soon start a Vista dome train because I do not think there is any other place in the whole world like Kashmir,” he said. “We have placed an order with our coach factories for the Vista dome train.” Vista dome trains have glass roofs and walls so that tourists can take in the view.