Jammu-Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express: The completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will greatly benefit the residents of Jammu and Kashmir largely. It will make travel across the major cities of the Union Territory easier. The project will significantly reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar. Northern Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, on Monday said that the Jammu-Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will slash the travel time from the current 6-7 hours by road to just 3 hours. Earlier on December 2024, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed that the final track work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail link is complete.
Sangaldan-Katra Section To Open Soon
While some sections of the project have become operational, works on remaining Katra-Sangaldan section (63 km) are in an advanced stage of completion. Once it becomes operational, the trains will be extended to Katra, stated Upadhyay. Train services are currently operational between Srinagar and Sangaldan. According to the PIB release of 2023, 19 (nineteen) Passenger Special train services are running in Baramula-Badgam-Banihal section of USBRL Project.
The USBRL project, which began in 2005-06 has been constructed into phased sections. The Qazigund-Baramulla section was started in the year 2009.
“The 18 km Banihal-Qazigund section was operational in 2013, the 25 km Udhampur-Katra in 2014, the Banihal to Sangaldan in 2023 and now the Sangaldan to Katra section will be operational. The world’s tallest rail arch bridge, Chenab Bridge, is a part of this project. The tunnels, bridges and valleys will make rail travel more enjoyable,” he added.
PM Modi To Flag Off Vande Bharat Express
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit Udhampur district to inaugurate the Vande Bharat train, which will undertake the journey from Jammu to Srinagar via Katra district, on April 19.
However, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that the train services for the inaugural Vande Bharat would start from Katra, temporarily as the Jammu railway station is under construction.
“PM Narendra Modi will visit Udhampur on April 19 to inaugurate the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat, and the service is being started from Katra temporarily because of the Jammu railway station being under construction… This will be a grand event connecting Kashmir Valley to the rest of the country,” Singh told reporters.
Indian Railways had conducted the trial run of the first Vande Bharat train from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to the Srinagar railway station on January 23. The train will run through Anji Khad Bridge and Chenab Bridge (highest railway bridge in the world).
Interestingly, the Vander Bharat train has been designed keeping in mind the cold climate conditions of the region.
Introduction of new train services or extension of existing train services is an ongoing process and subject to traffic demand, operational feasibility and availability of rolling stock.
