‘Kashmir Main, Tu Kanyakumari’ – we’ve all hummed to this iconic SRK-Deepika Padukone song that talks about the poles apart cities (and culture) of Kashmir and Kanyakumari. Situated on the two extreme sides of the country, the cities are set to be connected by the completion of a historic rail route. The Himsagar Express already runs from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, but with the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a key hurdle in the connectivity to Kashmir will be cleared out. Keep reading to know more about this ambitious project that will help connect the north and south of India.
Kashmir To Kanyakumari: The Historic Rail Route
The Kashmir to Kanyakumari route will feature plenty of tunnels dug up on the route, with the T1 Reasi Tunnel being under construction right now. It is set to be completed by the end of December 2024. The T1 tunnel, being constructed by the Konkan Railway Corporation Limited, is located at the foothills of Trikuta Hills near Katra in Reasi District. This completion will then lead the way for the CRS (Commission of Railway Safety) inspection and once it is completed, will lead to the commencement of the route from Katra to Srinagar.
The latter, thanks to this project, will get connected to various other parts of the country as well. This milestone will mark the completion of the ambitious 383-kilometer (km) USBRL project that will further enhance connectivity between Kashmir and Kanyakumari. Srinagar, an important city in the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir will be seeing direct train service to several other parts of the country, such as Delhi and Kanyakumari, thus improving connectivity.
Himsagar Express is the 3rd longest train of India, which started in 1984.
It runs between Jammu and Kanyakumari, and finishes its journey in 72 hours, covering 3,787 kms.
A tv series featuring this train named ‘Yatra’ was shown on Doordarshan in 1986, starring Om Puri. pic.twitter.com/UgJ5mh8uvR
— John Oldman (@PrasunNagar) October 22, 2022
The completion of the USBRL project will clear a major hurdle in the connectivity of the state of Jammu & Kashmir to other parts of India. In fact, the USBRL totals 38 tunnels, including one of India’s longest transportation tunnels, that collectively cover about 119 km. Once completed, the train services will extend from Srinagar to Kanyakumari. The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station currently connects the city, with the Himsagar Express linking Katra to Kanyakumari. Let’s learn more about this express, which featured in Doordarshan’s iconic 90s show Yatra.
The Himsagar Express: Katra to Kanyakumari
Train number 16317 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Kanyakumari Himsagar Express is the third longest-running train in India. It is also the world’s 35th longest-running passenger train and covers a distance of approximately 3789 km in 73 hours. The train halts at 65 railway stations, including Coimbatore Junction, Nagpur Junction, Agra Cantt., and Hazrat Nizamuddin (Delhi) among many others.
It departs from Kanyakumari at 2:15 PM on day 1 and reaches Katra at 10:45 AM on day 4. On its way back, the 16318 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Kanyakumari Himsagar Express leaves Katra at 10:25 PM on day 1 and reaches the southernmost tip of India at 11:05 PM on day 4. The train runs every week, only on every Monday.
The Vande Bharat Express: New Delhi To Srinagar
Speaking of train connectivity in the Kashmir valley, Srinagar will also see the launch of the much anticipated Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi. Touted to be the first sleeper train in the Vande Bharat segment, the train will cover a distance of about 800 km in just under 13 hours. This will also be one of the trains running on the ambitious USBRL project, set to be inaugurated in January 2025. The Vande Bharat Sleeper Train will depart from New Delhi at 7: 00 PM and reach its destination at 8:00 AM the following morning. With reasonably priced tickets ranging between INR 2000 to INR 3000, the train will be equipped with world-class amenities such as upgraded berths, improved lighting, reading lights, and 51 ergonomically designed toilets.
Summing Up
The snowy valley of Kashmir is set to meet the southernmost tip of the country – Kanyakumari. With the completion of the final leg of the USBRL project, Northern Railways hopes to increase footfalls in both the valley and Kanyakumari. With increased footfall in both places, it is likely that tourism and infrastructure will see an onward rise in the coming year.
