Overview

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually flagged off the Amritsar–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express on August 10, with operations beginning August 11 and running every day except Tuesday.
• The express will traverse a 418 km route with stops at Beas, Jalandhar City, Pathankot Cantt and Jammu Tawi before reaching Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.
• Tickets are now open for booking at ₹1,170 for AC Chair Car and ₹2,085 for Executive AC Chair Car classes.
• Officials say the service will bolster religious tourism, strengthen regional integration and spur local commerce, with both national and Jammu & Kashmir leaders highlighting economic gains.
• The inauguration follows the first freight train’s arrival in Anantnag on August 9, marking a new phase in Jammu & Kashmir’s rail connectivity and trade network.