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Vande Bharat Express Launches Three-Hour Service Between Katra and Srinagar

The service provides reliable all-weather rail access over landmark bridges to knit Jammu and Kashmir more closely with the rest of India

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Chenab Bridge
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Overview

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new Vande Bharat Express on June 6 as part of the 272-kilometre Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project
  • The route includes engineering marvels such as the 1,315-metre Chenab Railway Bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad bridge
  • On June 10, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah took the inaugural Srinagar-to-Katra journey, calling the train a “huge blessing” and becoming emotional after crossing the Chenab Bridge
  • Abdullah visited the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra following his ride and expressed hope that enhanced connectivity will boost pilgrim traffic to both Vaishno Devi and Amarnath
  • The train’s climate-adapted coaches, top speed of 160 km/h and safety systems like KAVACH signalling are designed to spur tourism, horticulture trade and deeper regional integration