Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Expected To Launch This Week. Details Inside

The Kashmir Valley will soon be connected to the rest of the country by a rail link when the Vande Bharat Express begins operating between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station and Srinagar railway station.

The train will pass over the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest rail bridge. Operations are expected to commence on February 21 or 22. Although no official confirmation has been provided by Indian Railways or any government authority, several media outlets claim that the train will be inaugurated on those dates.

Some reports suggest that Northern Railway authorities have received verbal instructions to make preparations and restrict employee leave.

However, a fresh verbal order has now delayed the launch, with sources attributing the postponement to the government formation and swearing-in ceremony in Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the service on the revised date.

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.