The Kashmir valley will soon be connected with rest of the country by a rail link when Vande Bharat Express starts operating between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to Srinagar railway station. The train will pass through the Chenab bridge - the world's highest rail bridge. The operations are expected to start in February, less than a month after Indian Railways conducted the a trial run of the specially designed Vande Bharat. The train will be flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Launch Date
Though no official confirmation has come from Indian Railways or any other government authority, several outlets are claiming that the train will be inaugurated on February 17. PM Modi will inaugurate the Sangaldan-Riyasi track from Katra. After this, the Vande Bharat train service will start directly from Katra to Srinagar.
Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat: Ticket Price
While the final ticket prices are yet to be officially announced, estimates suggest:
- AC Chair Car: Rs 1,500-Rs 1,600
- Executive Chair Car: Rs 2,200-Rs 2,500
These fares are subject to change upon official confirmation.
Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat: Expected Route And Stoppages
The train operates on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), connecting key stations like:
- Katra
- Udhampur
- Banihal
- Qazigund
- Anantnag
- Awantipora
This train will significantly reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar, offering passengers a comfortable and efficient journey.
Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat: Timings
Northern Railway had last month announced train timings for the Katra-Srinagar route. According to it, the Vande Bharat Express train will leave from Katra at 8.10 am and arrive in Srinagar at 11.20 am. From Srinagar, the train will leave at 8.55 am and reach Katra at 12.05 pm.
Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat: Features
These special trains are equipped with enhanced safety features and modern passenger amenities, like KAVACH anti-collision system, faster acceleration, fully sealed gangway, automatic plug doors, better ride comfort, mini pantry with provision of hot case, bottle cooler, deep freezer and hot water boiler, reclining ergonomic seats, comfortable seating with revolving seats in executive class, mobile charging sockets for every seat and CCTVs.
These trains have been designed for extreme cold conditions and can operate in temperature as low as minus twenty (-20) degrees Celsius, claim reports. The bio-toilets in these train rakes will have provisions to prevent water from freezing.
About Vande Bharat Trains
As many as 136 Vande Bharat train services having chair cars are operational on the Indian Railways network as of January 2025, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Rajya Sabha in a written reply last week.
The minister also said that overall occupancy in these trains is almost 100 per cent.
