Kashmir’s First Vande Bharat to Cut Katra-Srinagar Travel Time to 3 Hours in Next 4 Days

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the final section of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) on April 19, connecting the Kashmir Valley with New Delhi via Katra. With just four days left for the launch, Indian Railways conducted a successful trial run on the newly completed Katra–Sangaldan stretch on Tuesday.

Vande Bharat Trains to be Flagged Off

On the day of the inauguration, two Vande Bharat Express trains will be flagged off—one from Srinagar and the other from Katra. These trains are specially designed to operate in the cold climatic conditions of the Kashmir Valley.

Chenab Bridge Part of the Route 

The newly completed stretch includes the iconic Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, making the project an engineering landmark.

3-Hour Travel Time Between Srinagar and Katra 

The new rail link will reduce the travel time between Katra and Srinagar to just three hours. Currently, the journey by road takes about six to seven hours.

Before this, Indian Railways had conducted the first trial run of the Vande Bharat Express on January 23, from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station to Srinagar.

Ticket Fares to Be Announced on IRCTC Website 

Ticket fares for the Vande Bharat trains are expected to be announced soon. Bookings will be made available on the IRCTC platform.