Railways Shelves Baramulla–Uri Line, Qazigund Doubling Over Ecological Concerns

Indian Railways has set aside two proposed projects in Jammu and Kashmir, including a 40-kilometre new line that would have linked the border town of Uri with Baramulla, the present terminus of the rail network in the Valley. The second shelved proposal is the doubling of the existing 74-kilometre Qazigund–Srinagar–Budgam stretch.

In a communication to the General Manager of Northern Railway, the Joint Director (Works) of the Railway Board stated that both projects had been returned by the Cabinet Secretariat and are no longer under consideration.

The Baramulla–Uri line had been envisaged as an extension of the Udhampur–Baramulla railway and was seen as a strategically significant link, carrying rail connectivity closer to the Line of Control and offering quicker movement of troops, equipment and military logistics to forward areas. Apart from its civilian utility, it was expected to reinforce logistical infrastructure in the sensitive border belt.

The proposal, however, drew ecological objections. Its alignment was to pass through eco-fragile highlands, cut across Baramulla town and some village habitations, and run through orchards and mountainous terrain falling in high-seismic Zone 5. The corridor is also exposed to extreme weather.

Baramulla legislator Javid Hassan Baig, a critic of the project, welcomed the decision. He said the town could not afford a plan that cuts through its heart and compromises its future development, adding that development must protect Baramulla's heritage, environment, land resources and the interests of future generations. He described the shelving as a welcome and responsible step in the larger interest of the town.

Baig had submitted a resolution in the ongoing Assembly session seeking to keep the alignment in abeyance until a comprehensive and independent geological, geotechnical and seismic assessment was carried out. The resolution, admitted by the Assembly secretariat, expressed concern over the proposed route from Kanispora towards Khanpora and Sheeri, and urged the government to assess slope stability, soil bearing capacity, liquefaction potential, seismic vulnerability, drainage conditions and landslide susceptibility before finalising the alignment, and to proceed only after competent technical authorities certified its geological and structural suitability and long-term safety.

The decision comes six months after the rail ministry put on hold the proposed Anantnag–Pahalgam and Anantnag–Shopian rail links following protests by farmers.