Indian Railways has undertaken five new surveys in Jammu and Kashmir, including plans for four new rail lines and the doubling of an existing one. These projects aim to enhance connectivity, particularly in hilly and border areas. 

The proposed railway lines include Baramulla-Uri (46 km), Sopore-Kupwara (37 km), Anantnag-Pahalgam (78 km), and Avantipore-Shopian (28 km), as stated by Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Lok Sabha. A survey for doubling the Banihal-Baramulla section (118 km) has also commenced. A survey for the Jammu-Poonch line via Akhnur and Rajouri (223 km), with an estimated cost of Rs 22,771 crore, has been conducted.

The Minister also highlighted the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, covering districts such as Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Srinagar, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, and Baramulla. He reiterated that "sanctioning of railway projects is a continuous and dynamic process of Indian Railway." Keywords: Indian Railways, Jammu & Kashmir, railway projects, connectivity, USBRL, Baramulla, Banihal, Poonch, railway expansion.