Jammu: Northern Railway's Jammu division has taken a significant leap in modernizing its operations with the installation of the first direct unlocking system at Dinanagar railway station. This cutting-edge system, commissioned on Saturday, directly controls railway signalling and point machinery, a crucial step that reduces the risk of human error and enhances overall safety and efficiency in train movements. Vivek Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Jammu, lauded the initiative, stating it would also improve the travel experience for passengers. Indian Railways aims to implement this advanced system at other stations nationwide as part of its broader modernisation drive.

Coinciding with this development, Jammu and Kashmir's rail network is undergoing a rapid and comprehensive upgrade, a momentum that accelerated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains connecting Katra and Srinagar on June 6. This pivotal rail link has fundamentally transformed track maintenance in the Kashmir Valley by enabling the movement of modern, heavy-duty track maintenance machines, replacing earlier manual methods.

Key initiatives in the Kashmir Valley's track maintenance include:

  • A tamping machine, deployed since early June, has efficiently packed stone chips under approximately 88 km of track, significantly improving ballast cushion and ensuring smoother rides. Tamping machines are vital for ensuring the proper alignment and stability of railway tracks by compacting the ballast beneath sleepers.
  • Two ballast cleaning machines (BCMs) have deep-screened around 11.5 km of track. Ballast, the stone chip collection on tracks, is critical for support and drainage, and cleaner ballast leads to safer operations. An additional two BCMs were sent to the valley in July 2025, deep-screening another 2.5 km of track.
  • To replenish the ballast, 17 ballast rakes transported approximately 19,000 cubic meters of ballast from depots at Kathua, Qazigund, Madhopur, and Jind to Kashmir tracks.
  • Track recording car (TRC) and oscillation monitoring system (OMS) runs were conducted in June and July respectively to meticulously assess track quality and identify sections needing attention, contributing to significant overall improvements.

Beyond tracks, a paradigm shift is also occurring in the maintenance and upgradation of passenger coaches in Jammu and Kashmir. Prior to the Jammu-Srinagar rail link, DEMU/MEMU rakes in the Kashmir Valley lacked rail connectivity to workshops for periodic maintenance. Bogies had to be transported laboriously by road trailers from Budgam to Lucknow for Periodic Overhauling (POH). Now, for the first time, rakes from the valley can be transported via rail to Lucknow for POH, streamlining the process. The condition of all rakes in Budgam is being systematically improved, with the entire coach upgradation work in Kashmir targeted for completion by the end of August, ensuring all in-service rakes are renovated and upgraded within this timeframe.

With inputs from PTI