The revocation of Article 370 in August 2019 marked the beginning of Kashmir’s transition from isolation to nationwide integration. For decades, the region’s geography and political complexities had kept it physically and digitally disconnected.
However, the removal of its special status set off a wave of infrastructure development—tunnels, bridges, railways, airport expansions, and next-gen telecom—that is now tightly weaving Kashmir into India’s broader network.
What engineers describe as India’s version of America’s interstate boom or China’s high-speed rail revolution is unfolding across the Himalayas. Once snowbound and cut off for months, Kashmir is now seeing transformative projects reshape its landscape.
The Chenani–Nashri tunnel (also called the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel), opened in 2020, slashed 41 km from the Jammu–Srinagar highway, eliminating 44 avalanche zones and providing year-round access.
Northward, the massive Zojila Tunnel—under construction since 2020—is set to open in 2026. It will drastically reduce travel time between Kashmir and Ladakh from three hours to just twenty minutes, giving the Valley its first all-weather road link to the strategic region. Smaller tunnel projects, like those near Sonamarg, have already been completed, with smart systems ensuring near-constant access despite the harsh conditions.
Railways are also reshaping the region. On June 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Vande Bharat train across the Chenab rail bridge—the highest railway arch in the world. Part of the long-delayed Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail line, the bridge, at 359 metres above the riverbed, is taller than the Eiffel Tower and built to withstand extreme weather and seismic activity. This rail link is poised to reduce the Katra–Srinagar journey to just three hours.
Aviation, too, is undergoing a major upgrade. Srinagar Airport is being expanded with a Rs 1,788-crore investment to handle 10 million passengers annually, including new terminals and aerobridges. Jammu Airport is also being upgraded, with a focus on air cargo exports—finally enabling efficient transport of local produce like saffron, walnuts, and apples.
These physical connections are being matched by rapid digital expansion. After the high-speed data blackout ended in early 2021, Kashmir leapt from 2G to 5G in record time. Major telecom providers like Jio and Airtel rolled out 5G across the region, quickly reaching over 900,000 users.
Rural areas are being connected through the Rs 2,631-crore BharatNet program, aiming to bring fibre-optic internet to nearly 4,000 villages by 2025. Even religious pilgrimage sites, like Amarnath, now feature livestreaming capabilities.
In just a decade, the change has been dramatic. What once required elaborate preparation and resilience—driving from Jammu to Srinagar—has become a simple, fast journey. Kashmiri businesses now operate in real time with the rest of India, uploading videos and shipping products nationwide.
While infrastructure cannot erase all the scars of history, it has begun to dissolve the barriers—both psychological and physical—that once isolated the region.
Major milestones still lie ahead: the Zojila Tunnel’s completion in 2026, Srinagar Airport’s new terminal by 2027, and the final rollout of BharatNet’s rural connectivity. But the direction is clear—Kashmir is steadily transforming from a landscape defined by remoteness to one powered by seamless connection. When high-speed trains cross Himalayan valleys and tourists livestream from snow-covered slopes, the extraordinary will become routine. And in that new normal lies the quiet revolution ignited by the end of Article 370.
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