Jammu, Sept 25: The Vande Bharat train, presently operating from Katra in J&K’s Reasi district to Srinagar in the Kashmir Valley, will soon start its operation from Jammu railway station to Srinagar, railway officials said on Thursday.
“Vande Bharat train, which is currently operating between Katra and Srinagar, will soon start its operation from Jammu railway station to Srinagar. Preparations are going on to facilitate the expansion of the semi-high speed service,” Divisional Railway Manager, Vivek Kumar, told reporters here.
He said that the plan to link Jammu directly with Srinagar through Vande Bharat had been delayed due to widespread damage to railway tracks caused by recent incessant rains and floods.
“The restoration work is underway at a rapid pace, and the service will be launched once safety clearances are in place. We are working on it. The delay occurred because of massive damage to tracks due to floods and heavy rains. But sooner or later, this service will be available to the people of Jammu,” he said.
The Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat service, introduced earlier this year, has already eased travel time between the Valley and the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
The extension to Jammu is expected to further boost connectivity, benefiting pilgrims, tourists, students, traders and the common citizen.
Vivek Kumar added that once the extension becomes operational, the train is expected to run on a daily schedule connecting Jammu to Srinagar with improved travel comfort and reduced journey time compared to existing rail and road services.
The Jammu-Srinagar rail link is an engineering marvel as it involved highly technical know-how to build the link in the most difficult Himalayan region.
The link includes the world’s highest railway bridge on the Chenab River in Reasi district and the country’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad bridge.
There are more than 2 dozen tunnels through which the Vande Bharat train travels before reaching the Valley.(IANS)
Travel relief on Katra–Srinagar track
The Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar, along with a special local train service introduced by the Jammu division of Northern Railways, has emerged as a big relief for commuters and tourists.
Since its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6 at Katra railway station, more than 2.5 lakh passengers have travelled on the Vande Bharat. Two trains operate daily in each direction, with each eight-coach train accommodating over 500 passengers.
For many, the train has become a lifeline, especially during highway closures and traffic jams on NH44. A local businessman travelling from Katra to Srinagar told KINS, “During the recent floods, I left my car in Srinagar and took the Vande Bharat to reach Jammu without much trouble. It saved me from hours of being stuck on the highway.”
Locals working away from home also find the train service helpful. A Srinagar-based man posted in Jammu said the train has allowed him to spend weekends with his family. “Now I can travel on Saturdays and be home the same evening, which was not possible earlier,” he said.
Tourists, too, are happy. Ramesh Kumar, a visitor from Delhi, said, “It took us only three hours from Srinagar to Katra, something we couldn’t imagine earlier.”
Meanwhile, a temporary local train service between Katra and Banihal, started on September 19, has already carried about 9,000 passengers. Running until October 2, it is helping those stranded due to highway disruptions, with nearly 600–700 people using it daily in each direction. (KINS)
‘Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat train soon’
