The Indian Railways, in a statement on Sunday, said the upgradation works of passenger coaches in the Kashmir valley will be completed by August 31 this year.
The Ministry’s statement said the opening and ongoing upgrade works will provide a new lifeline to Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link project on June 6, 2025.
The Vande Bharat Express, since its inauguration, has become a key and important mode of transportation on this route.
Before the inauguration, Jammu and Kashmir had no rail connectivity with the country.
The Ministry also said, “Over and above the new train services, the opening of this line has made a vital change in the capability to maintain rail tracks in the Kashmir Valley. The railway link has allowed the movement of track maintenance machines to the Kashmir Valley. Maintenance is now being done with modern machines, unlike earlier manual maintenance. This is leading to significant improvement in track quality.”
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Overall, 78 per cent of India’s tracks have been improved to 110 kmph or more, which used to be just 39 per cent in 2014.
The Ministry further said, “This higher proportion should be seen considering the rise in the total length of tracks in the last decade. Apart from improved track speed, the total length of tracks has increased to more than 1 lakh km in 2025 from 79,342 km in 2014.”
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “We will expand the track infrastructure by significantly upgrading the track technology and maintenance practices. Modern track fittings, the usage of track machines, ultrasound fracture detection machines, road-cum-rail vehicles, and integrated track measurement machines will make our track maintenance scientific.”
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