Srinagar, June 6 -- Kumar, Executive Director for Information and Publicity at the Railway Board, has been following this project closely. Stretching 272 kilometers and built at a cost of Rs.43,780 crore, the rail line brings seamless, all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country.

It includes 36 tunnels, 943 bridges, and some of the most challenging engineering ever attempted by Indian Railways.

The Katra-Banihal section alone, Kumar said, covers 111 kilometers, of which more than 97 run through tunnels or over bridges.

"That gives you a sense of how difficult the terrain is," he said. "But the alignment was carefully studied. This corridor had to be safe, durable, and efficient."

At the heart of the route is T...