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Vande Bharat Express Starts Service Between Katra and Srinagar

Selling out initial runs, the six-day service reduces travel time to under three hours with weather-resilient features.

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Vande bharat
Swati Kumari and Shubham Kumar had initially cancelled their trip to Kashmir post the Pahalgam attack. The video of PM Modi flagging off the new Vande Bharat changed that. | Anisha Nehra | ThePrint

Overview

  • The new Vande Bharat trains began commercial operations on June 7, running six days a week on the 189 km route via Banihal.
  • All seats on the first services were fully booked with waiting lists exceeding 50 passengers, highlighting strong demand for rail access to Srinagar.
  • The journey now takes under three hours, cutting two to three hours off previous road travel times between Katra and Srinagar.
  • Custom adaptations include heated windscreens, snow-clearing locomotives, seismic dampers and insulated coaches to tackle temperatures as low as −20 °C and seismic risk.
  • This service is part of the Rs 43,780 crore USBRL project featuring 36 tunnels, 943 bridges and landmarks such as the Chenab Arch Bridge and Anji Khad Bridge to boost tourism and economic growth.