The Sangaldan to Reasi railway line has been completed and the trial run of the trains on the track is being conducted and there is every likelihood that the first train may ply on the track by this month end or early next month.

Sources said the first train between Sangaldan and Reasi is expected to be flagged off by the end of this month or early next month, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Reasi district of Jammu to Kashmir via railway through world’s highest railway Chenab bridge.

Sources said top railway officials will conduct final inspection of the Sangaldan-Reasi section, which includes the world's highest steel arch rail bridge over the Chenab and several major tunnels, later this month.

"If all goes well, regular train services will commence by the end of this month or first week of July", sources said.

Of the 272-kilometer rail corridor between Baramulla to Udhampur, only 17 Kilometre section between Reasi and Katra remains to be operational.

It is expected that the work on this segment will be finished within the next six months, sources said.

Once completed, the rail link will provide direct train services between Baramulla/Srinagar in Kashmir and major destinations such as Jammu, New Delhi, and Kanyakumari.

This development promises to boost tourism and trade and provide travelers with a more efficient mode of transportation across Jammu and Kashmir.

A trial run of the MEMU train (Mainline Electric Multiple Unit) was conducted recently on the newly constructed electrified line section (Reasi-Sangaldan), covering a route length of 46 kilometers on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) project, at a speed of 40 kmph. Notably, this trial marked the first time a full train crossed over the iconic Chenab River bridge between Dugga and Bakkal stations. This bridge is the world's highest railway bridge, featuring a central span of 467 meters at an impressive height of 359 meters.

The USBRL project has been progressing in phases, with 209 kilometers out of the total 272 kilometers already commissioned. The phases include the 118-kilometer Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, the 18-kilometer Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013, the 25-kilometer Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014, and the 48.1-kilometer Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February this year.

As the project nears its final stages, the anticipation and optimism surrounding the USBRL project are palpable, with expectations that it will significantly transform the Jammu and Kashmir's transportation landscape.