- Overview: Concluding decades of relentless engineering challenges, the entire Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is now fully operational, finally connecting the Kashmir Valley to the vast Indian Railway network via broad-gauge tracks.
- Key Points:
- The Chenab Marvel: The route successfully integrates the Chenab Rail Bridge—the highest railway bridge in the world (359 meters above the riverbed)—built to withstand extreme wind speeds and seismic activity.
- All-Weather Logistics: Provides an unhindered, massive logistical artery for the rapid mobilization of Indian Army troops and heavy armor to the LoC and LAC, irrespective of heavy winter snowfall.
- Economic Integration: Drastically slashes freight costs for Kashmir’s famed apple, saffron, and handicraft industries, while providing a massive boost to domestic tourism.
- Tunneling Supremacy: The project includes the T-49 tunnel, which at 12.75 km is the longest transportation tunnel in the country, utilizing the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM).
Source Link: Indian Railways – USBRL Project Highlights
- Q10. The Chenab Rail Bridge, a critical component of the USBRL project, spans the Chenab River. The Chenab River is formed by the confluence of which two streams?
- A) Beas and Sutlej
- B) Chandra and Bhaga
- C) Jhelum and Ravi
- D) Suru and Dras
