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