3,000 CCTVs, Cameras Every 50m In Tunnels: How Indian Railways Is Securing Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link

Jammu and Srinagar are set to get closer, with the travel time between them reduced to just three hours and ten minutes. The Vande Bharat trial runs between Jammu's Katra and Srinagar have been completed, and an official announcement is awaited to mark the formal commencement of the train service. The eight-coach Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will soon begin operations. Additionally, with the 111 km-long Banihal-Katra section in Jammu nearing completion, rail commuters can look forward to a world-class travel experience by the end of this year. The Jammu station is also undergoing redevelopment to include eight platforms and modern amenities.

The Jammu-Srinagar rail line features engineering marvels, including the world’s highest arch bridge (359 meters) on the Chenab River, constructed using 30,000 tonnes of steel, and India’s first cable-stayed bridge on the Anji River. Other notable bridges on this route include the Reasi and Bakkal Bridges. The longest tunnel on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, T50, spans 12.77 km. To enhance safety and gather operational data, cameras have been installed every 50 meters within the tunnels, connected to a state-of-the-art central control room. Additionally, the railways have built 215 km of roads in the region to improve access to project sites, benefiting local residents.

Sanjeev Sehgal, Founder & CEO of Sparsh CCTV, the company responsible for the CCTV installations, revealed that approximately 3,000 security cameras have been deployed across all stations and the USBRL route, given the area's sensitivity.

“In the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project (USBRL), we have implemented advanced features, including fire and smoke detection using CCTV with intelligent video analytics for early warnings, abandoned object monitoring to detect unattended items under challenging conditions, high-precision face recognition technology for secure access, and train speed analytics for real-time safety compliance,” Sehgal explained.

The USBRL project, situated in some of the harshest terrains and weather conditions, has posed unique challenges. “Our teams have had to endure severe weather and trek up to 2.5 km to reach remote installation sites. Despite these difficulties, our engineers have ensured that critical infrastructure is secured with advanced surveillance systems,” Sehgal added, detailing the obstacles faced during the installation process.

Sparsh CCTV is also working with Indian Railways on installing black boxes in newly manufactured train coaches and locomotives, as well as retrofitting existing coaches, to further enhance safety and surveillance.