Baramulla-Kupwara Rail Link
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS
LOK SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO: 185
ANSWERED ON: 04.03.2025
Baramulla-Kupwara Rail Link
Mohammad Akbar Lone
Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:-
(a) whether the Government has any proposal/received any request for the extension of rail link from Baramulla to Kupwara and Kupwara to Lalab;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the present status of the extension of these rail links?
ANSWER- MINISTER OF RAILWAYS AND COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI PIYUSH GOYAL)
(a) to (c) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF STARRED QUESTION NO. 185 BY SHRI MOHAMMAD AKBAR LONE TO BE ANSWERED IN LOK SABHA ON 04.03.2025 REGARDING BARAMULLA-KUPWARA RAIL LINK.
(a) to (c) Yes, Sir. Survey of new Broad Gauge Railway line between Baramulla and Kupwara (39 km) was completed in 2025-11. The estimated cost of the project at price level of 2025-11 was 628 crore with Rate of Return (ROR) of (-) 7.48%. The project could not be taken forward after survey due to financially unviability.
In November, 2025, survey of the projected line had been sanctioned to assess the cost at the current level and same was undertaken. Further, consideration of this proposal shall be possible once survey report becomes available and results thereon are firmed up.
No survey for extension of rail link from Kupwara to Lalab has been completed /under consideration, at present.
Here’s the latest update on the Baramulla–Kupwara rail link, a proposed extension of the Jammu–Baramulla line under the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project:
🚆 Project Overview: Baramulla to Kupwara Rail Line
- This is a 39 km rail extension (sometimes referred to as the Sopore–Kupwara section) approved by the Central Government in November 2018.turn0search21turn0search0
- A Final Location Survey (FLS) was approved in December 2025, and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was in preparation as of mid-2025.turn0search21turn0search7turn0search11
📉 Current Status and Government Decision
- In January 2025, the Central Government shelved the Baramulla–Kupwara and Jammu–Poonch rail projects, citing high costs—₹628 crore for Baramulla–Kupwara and ₹1,361 crore for Jammu–Poonch—and funding feasibility issues.turn0search9turn0search3
- Updates in July 2025 confirm that no land has yet been acquired for the Baramulla–Kupwara project, though minor compensation has been paid for road widening in the region—not specific to railway development.turn0search1turn0search9
🧾 Summary Table
| Aspect | Status / Detail |
|---|---|
| Line Length | ~39 km from Baramulla to Kupwara |
| Survey Approval | FLS greenlit in Dec 2025 |
| DPR Status (Jun 2025) | Under preparation by Railway Board |
| Land Acquisition | None completed for rail line (Jul 2025) |
| Project Decision | Shelved January 2025 due to funding issues |
| Central Line Status | Other lines like Baramulla–Uri, Shopian, Bijbehara under surveyturn0search7turn0search11 |
🧭 Broader Context: USBRL Completion
- The main Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link, a 272 km mega-project featuring 36 tunnels, 943 bridges, and world‑record engineering like the Chenab Bridge, was inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, making the Kashmir Valley rail-accessible year-round.turn0search8turn0search10turn0news13turn0news16
- Concurrently, the Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express was launched, running 6 days a week with only one halt (Banihal), covering ~193 km in 2 hours 58 minutes.turn0search20turn0news15turn0news12
✅ Final Insight
- While the Baramulla–Kupwara rail link remains proposed and surveyed, plans for actual construction have been temporarily dropped, with no land acquired and the project deferred as of early 2025.
- The broader USBRL network is now operational, bringing rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, but the Kupwara extension is currently on hold.
Would you like:
- 🔍 Updates on land acquisition or resumption plans if revived?
- 🗺️ Status of other proposed lines like Baramulla–Uri, Anantnag–Pahalgam?
- 📊 Timeline and technical details of the main USBRL project and Vande Bharat service?
Happy to fetch more info!