New Delhi, March 28: A survey for a new 223-km rail line between Jammu and Poonch via Akhnoor and Rajouri has been carried out, with the project cost assessed at Rs 22,771 crore. However, the project has low traffic projections, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.
BJP MP Ghulam Ali asked if a proposal had been submitted to the government to establish Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch railway connectivity. In response, Vaishnaw stated that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, connecting Jammu to Srinagar, has been completed, covering several districts in Jammu and Kashmir.
Vaishnaw added that while a survey for the new line between Jammu and Poonch has been conducted, the project’s high cost and low traffic projections pose significantJammu and Poonch has been conducted, the project’s high cost and low traffic projections pose significant challenges. The minister emphasized that sanctioning railway projects is a continuous process, influenced by factors like profitability, connectivity needs, and economic considerations ¹.