Opinion | From Dreams to Tracks: How Kashmir Finally Touched Delhi by Rail

Today, as the train whistles through tunnels and over bridges, it carries more than just passengers. It carries history, sacrifice, and a dream that has finally arrived on track. For Kashmir, this is not the end of a project. It is the beginning of a new journey.

There were times when people in Kashmir spoke of a train to Delhi as if it were part of folklore. The idea of boarding a train from Srinagar and reaching the heart of India without depending on the unpredictable highway or weather seemed too far-fetched to believe. For decades, the dream lingered in government speeches, incomplete surveys, and abandoned project files. Past regimes made tall claims, laid a few kilometers of track, posed for photographs, and then vanished into silence. There were always explanations and excuses. Terrain was difficult, funding was scarce, militancy posed a challenge. But what was missing was not feasibility. It was will. June 6, 2025, brought a quiet revolution. It was not merely an inauguration. It was a historic fulfilment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with his long-term vision, and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, who has led India’s connectivity transformation, finally gave Kashmir what it had waited for generations to receive. They gave the valley a railway connection not just as a mode of transport, but as a powerful symbol of integration, accessibility, and trust.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, known as USBRL, is not just a railway project. It is a living, moving monument of how mountains can be pierced when the resolve is strong. It connects the Kashmir Valley to the Indian Railways’ national network through a line that passes through the most challenging Himalayan terrain. The world now looks up to the Chenab Rail Bridge, which stands higher than the Eiffel Tower and crosses the mighty Chenab River, not just with steel but with pride. The Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, adds to the glory of what has been achieved through tireless engineering and political commitment. This connection is not merely about shortening distance. It is about securing the region. In times of conflict or natural disasters, this all-weather rail link offers a reliable and fast movement of relief, goods, and military logistics. It strengthens national unity and ensures that no part of our country is left dependent on mercy of roads that get blocked at the hint of rain or snow.

For the student community of Kashmir, this means something even more personal. Thousands of students who travel to Delhi, Aligarh, Hyderabad, and beyond can now afford cheaper and safer travel. Families will no longer worry about their sons and daughters getting stuck for days at Qazigund or Banihal during winters. A railway ticket to Delhi is no longer just affordable. It is a sign of belonging. This project has quietly dissolved the old fear of getting stranded on NH44 due to landslides, snowfall, or highway shutdowns. It has given families a sense of safety. It has offered businesses a way to grow. It has ensured that the movement of essentials, from medicine to food, is no longer held hostage by the weather gods.

In the larger narrative of Kashmir, this railway line is a turning point. It brings with it the feel of normalcy that people once thought was reserved for others. It brings hope and pride. It brings connection in the truest sense. What the previous regimes delayed for decades, this government delivered with resolve and speed. Today, as the train whistles through tunnels and over bridges, it carries more than just passengers. It carries history, sacrifice, and a dream that has finally arrived on track. For Kashmir, this is not the end of a project. It is the beginning of a new journey.

The writer is a student activist and can be reached at soulofkashmir1@gmail.com