High risk to the survivability of rail-lines being built in the Himalayas

Railway Board must answer three questions

Alok Kumar Verma, IRSE (Rtd)

Three questions that the people of this country and its government should ask Railway Board about the survivability of the Kashmir Rail Link in the Himalayas, assuming that one day Indian Railway shall be able to complete construction of this line, and start running trains.

It is necessary to ask these questions now because the Railway officials failed to give any answer when questioned about this by the Sreedharan Committee in 2015 and earlier to the Ravindra Committee in 2008-09.

Q.1. If the mega arch bridge being built over Chenab is brought down by sabotage, a landslide or a deluge, will it be possible to restore the line in less than 10 years?

The Sreedharan Committee, taking note of high risk to the survivability of the Chenab Bridge from sabotage, enemy action in war and natural calamities like large landslides, deluge or a major earthquake said in its report:

“If this bridge is damaged, its restoration will take 5 to 6 years minimum.”

Q.2. If such destruction happens at the mega bridge at Anji, will it be possible to restore the line in less than 7 years?

Q.3. If such destruction happens at the other 5 very large bridges, namely Bridge No. 39, 43, 60 and Bridge No. 2 and 3, will it be possible to restore the line in less than 5 yrs?

Because for a long time in future there would be no other rail link to Kashmir by another route, disruption of traffic on the Kashmir Rail Link will result in total shut down of rail transportation to Kashmir.

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