Katra: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off a Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, the first train connection between the Kashmir valley and the Jammu region.
Modi inaugurated the train in the presence of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, among others.
Earlier, the PM inaugurated the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s tallest rail bridge, and Anji Khad Bridge, the country’s first cable-stayed railway bridge The Srinagar-Katra journey, which currently takes nearly six hours by road, will now be completed in just three hours by train.
The semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains will run six days a week with two pairs—26404/26403 and 26401/26402—stopping at Banihal. Fares start at Rs 660 for AC Chair Car, with Executive Chair Car fares expected soon.
Though the full USBRL project is complete, the Vande Bharat service will for now operate only between Katra and Srinagar due to ongoing infrastructure upgrades at Jammu railway station.
The route spans 272 km and includes 36 tunnels (totaling 119 km) and 943 bridges, threading through valleys, ridges, and the rugged Himalayan terrain.
Stating that Kashmir to Kanyakumari is no longer a dream, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday termed completion of Kashmir rail project as “festival of India’s unity, strength, and integration.”
