Pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine can travel directly to Katra base camp from next year with the Udhampur-Katra rail link project to Kashmir likely to be completed by December this year. All bridges, tracks, stations and tunnels have been completed on Udhampur-Katra railway link.

Katra town in Reasi, Jammu and Kashmir is the base camp for pilgrims to Vaishno Devi shrine where an estimated eight million devotees pay obeisance every year. Certain sources said the longest transportation tunnel in the country, which will connect Qazigund town with Banihal on the either side of the Pir Panjal mountain range, is also expected to be completed by year end.

The 11-km tunnel is being constructed near the existing 2.6-km Jawahar tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir Valley. However, the work on the section between Qazigund and Banihal is expected to be completed by March 2012.

The challenging section of the railway project between Katra-Qazigund comprises 80 per cent length in tunnels and seven bridges. The section passes through two important rivers Anji and Chenab where mega bridges are under construction.