How CRPF will guard key tunnels on Kashmir rail link, covering 100 km of USBRL route

Chenab rail bridge, world's highest railway bridge, over the Chenab river in J&K's Reasi district. (Courtesy: PTI)

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel equipped with "sophisticated" automatic weapons and bullet-proof jackets will soon be deployed to guard nearly 100 km of tunnel stretches along the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL).

In addition to the deployment, CCTV cameras are being installed throughout these sections for enhanced surveillance, The Indian Express reported.

A high-level security meeting was held on March 9 regarding the deployment of the CRPF. However, the call gained urgency after the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir that left 28 people dead, mostly tourists.

A crucial link of the USBRL was scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 19, but the event was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.

According to the report, the meeting was chaired by Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and attended by senior officials, including the chiefs of paramilitary forces, the Railway Protection Force, Jammu & Kashmir DGP, and Railway Board Chairman Satish Kumar.

Discussions were held in two sessions. The first session focused on the overall security situation in the Valley and the lack of fresh intelligence inputs, while the second specifically addressed security measures for the USBRL.

The 111-km Katra-Banihal section of the USBRL, considered the most difficult stretch, is the India’s longest transportation tunnel (12.77 km), the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River (359 meters), and Indian Railways' first cable-stayed bridge. Within this section, tunnels cover around 97 km of the route.

“One of the DGs from the paramilitary forces advised us to install CCTV cameras, which will cover all tunnel areas. As per rules, the security of all rail lines is at the disposal of state police, so it has been decided to deploy CRPF personnel in tunnels while the other areas will be secured by the GRP and RPF,” Indian Express quoted a source as saying.

In preparation, around 4,500 personnel have already been deployed, and CCTV cameras linked to a 24x7 monitoring room have been set up. Sophisticated automatic weapons and protective gear have been provided to these forces to meet any security challenge. Following the Pahalgam attack, senior RPF officers visited Jammu and Kashmir to conduct a review of the ongoing security arrangements.

Currently, trains are running between Sangaldan and Baramulla, covering a 184-km stretch, and between Udhampur and Katra (25 km) on the USBRL. However, the Kashmir Valley remains unconnected with the remaining 63-km Katra-Sangaldan section awaiting inauguration.