Making the Kashmir Rail Link safe from disasters

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link is a project of national importance connecting Kashmir with the rest of India with an all-weather transport link. Given the frequent disruptions in the road link that presently serves this purpose, particularly during the winters, the rail link is a much-awaited project for the region.

This railway line spans a total length of 272 km and contains India’s longest railway tunnel and the world’s highest railway river bridge. Given the critical nature of the rail line and the climate and disaster the vulnerability of the terrain, the project warranted a robust disaster management plan.

Northern Railways and its implementing agency Konkan Rail Corporation Limited took the services of STS Global, an agency specialising in disaster management planning, to put in place a Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan for the rail link.

The undertaking of a disaster management plan is an unprecedented activity, which underscores the long-term view of safety in Indian Railways, especially given a number of upcoming critical infrastructure lines in the mountain regions of the country.

A study involving the following key components was carried out before finalising the standard operating protocols for all concerned railway personnel and related agencies:

1. Risk Assessment, which involved detailed mapping of all the key hazards along and the resultant risk to all assets along the corridor.
2. Stakeholder consultation, including inputs from multiple departments and agencies that play an important role in ensuring the safety of passengers and railway infrastructure.

This formed the basis for the Comprehensive Disaster Management Plan which included the preparedness plan and protocols to be followed by the officials during any disaster pertaining to the operations of the rail link. The plan is one of its kind and consists of the Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Risk Assessment (MHVRA) at a level wherein every section of the rail line has been assessed in detail.

National Institute of Disaster Management carried out a consultative review of the plan, with inputs from National Disaster Management Authority and other key agencies.