Modi Inaugurates USBRL Rail Link to Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), connecting Kashmir by rail to the rest of India after decades of engineering and political delays. The project, costing nearly ₹44,000 crore, features 36 tunnels, 943 bridges—including the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab—and India's first cable-stayed rail bridge at Anji, overcoming challenging terrain and security threats. Two new Vande Bharat Express trains now link Katra and Srinagar, reducing travel time to about three hours and aiming to boost tourism, trade, and economic growth in the region. The USBRL fulfills a vision first outlined in the late 19th century by Maharaja Pratap Singh, delayed by wars, partition, and political turmoil. While officials hail the project as a symbol of national integration and engineering achievement, some Kashmiris see it as consolidating central government control. The inauguration comes shortly after a terror attack in Pahalgam, with Modi pledging a strong response and emphasizing national unity.