
Vande Bharat train to Srinagar steaming ahead with good public response
The Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, which connected Kashmir with the rest of the country, are getting good response from people, officials said.
The train has brought a new level of enthusiasm among the tourist players of Kashmir who have been reeling under a slump after the flight of tourists out of the Valley following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
The train services which started from Saturday, on the Eid festival, recorded increased footfall, including that of tourists. 'The footfall has been good for the past three days since its start. People are happy over the services,' said Saqib Yousuf, Northern Railway's chief area manager in Jammu and Kashmir.
Yousuf didn't specify the number of people but people in know of the things said that hundreds made the journeys in the past three days.
PM Modi inaugurated the train service on Friday paving way for the connection of Himalayan Kashmir valley with the rest of the country through rail after the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line in January.
While the train is expected to be a boon for locals as well as the traders curtailing the travel time between Katra and Srinagar to just 3 hours (from 6-7 hours) independent of the weather vagaries, the tourists are also finding it easy and exciting to visit the region and enjoy its beauty.
Earlier the train used to run standalone between Baramulla in Kashmir and Sangaldan in Jammu province. But now the Jammu-Katra and Katra-Srinagar services completed the missing link making it the first train between Delhi and Srinagar since railway was introduced in the Indian subcontinent.
The train passes through picturesque destinations and the world's highest bridge on Chenab. The track to Kashmir has 38 tunnels and 927 bridges. The rail link has two engineering marvels —world's highest rail arch bridge at 359m over Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed rail bridge over Anji river.
Abhijeet, who was travelling with his family of four from Haryana, had initially thought to visit Vaisno Devi shrine in Katra and return back. But with the inauguration of Vande Bharat, he decided for a trip to the Srinagar. 'We are very excited for the journey to see Kashmir for the first time in our lives,' the couple said. 'So far, most of the people and tourists would visit the shrine in Katra and return but now everybody will get a chance to visit Kashmir. Whenever we used to come we would not go beyond Patnitop,' Abhijeet said.
The Chenab bridge is drawing admiration from everywhere. People are excitedly clicking pictures with it. Even the flight pilots are making special announcements and passengers are showing eagerness to capture photographs of the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway-arch bridge, said the railway ministry.
Every day two Vande Bharat trains make a total of four trips from Katra to Srinagar and back. Passengers have to pay ₹715 for a chair car seat and ₹1,320 for executive class. For the second train the fare prices are ₹660 for a chair car seat and ₹1,270 for executive class.
Secretary general of Kashmir travel agents association Sajad Ahmad Kralyari said tourism has received a boost as the inauguration by the PM has sent a positive signal that things are normal and tourists can come. 'Vande Bharat trains to Kashmir are sending a positive signal and we are now getting queries from even high end tourists,' Kralyari said. 'Around 1.5 crore people visit Vaishno Devi Shrine every year. So far only 10-20% would come to Kashmir by road which was cumbersome and time consuming. Now it is easy for them to come as they are just three hours away,' he said.
He also said that travelling in the train is itself an attraction as it passes through places which one would see once in a lifetime. 'They see tunnels, rivers, forests and feel the Himalayas close enough. They also travel over the world's highest railway bridge which has also become a tourist attraction,' Kralyari said.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Tourist activities launched at Shipki-La mountain pass in Himachal's tribal Kinnaur district bordering China, says CM Sukhu
In a bid to promote tourism in the hill State, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday (June 10, 2025) launched border tourism activities at Shipki-La, a motorable mountain pass situated at an altitude of 3,930 meters, bordering India and China in tribal district of Kinnaur. 'We have eased restrictions for the tourists to enjoy the beauty of Shipki-La and the tourism activities here would strengthen the economy of the local people along with boosting tourism in the region. The State government had requested the Ministry of Defence to grant permission for starting tourism activities in the border areas of Lepcha, Shipki-La, Giu and Rani Kanda. After the approval for the same, the border tourism initiative has been launched,' he said, addressing a public gathering. The Chief Minister said that the State government would take up the issue of starting 'Kailash Mansarovar Yatra' from Shipki-La with the Central government. 'I will meet the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and present this matter before him. Shipki-La will be the easiest route for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra,' he said. 'We have also urged the Center to establish Himachal Scout Battalion, which would have a special quota for the local people of the border areas of the State. The matter of setting up an airport to promote tourism in the border areas would also be pursued before the Union government. The State government will urge the Centre to abolish the inner line check post of the military and paramilitary forces, which currently creates permit related obstacles for tourists,' he added. 'Increasing connectivity' The Chief Minister said that border roads were not only of strategic importance, but their purpose was to provide benefits to the people by increasing connectivity in remote border regions. 'I recently discussed about the action plan to promote tourism in the border areas with Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). There has also been a discussion on using various helipads of the ITBP to promote tourism in remote areas. Discussions have also been held about providing medical facilities to the people through the health institutions of the ITBP,' he said.


Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
A scar I will never heal from: Survivor
Jaipur: What began as a joyful getaway after Eid turned into a memory too painful to forget. Shahrukh, one of the three survivors of the Tonk river tragedy, said he would carry the nightmare of that picnic for the rest of his life—a day when he watched eight of his friends and relatives drown in front of him. He said it was supposed to be a fresh start after Eid, a chance to unwind. Shahrukh, a resident of Ghatgate, who spoke to TOI over the phone on Tuesday, said, "Instead, it became a scar I'll never heal from." The group of 11 set out from Jaipur in a large SUV in the early hours of Tuesday. The initial plan, Shahrukh said, was to travel only as far as Chaksu. "We stopped near Chaksu, unloaded our supplies, and began preparing to cook a meal. But one of us suggested we should go swim in the Banas River nearby," he recalled. Despite some hesitation, the entire group agreed and headed towards the river in Tonk. Shahrukh stayed back with Salman and Sameer at a nearby shrine to cook the meal. The others, including friends, walked down to the river for a swim. Minutes later, panic set in. "We suddenly heard loud cries for help. People were drowning," Shahrukh said, his voice trembling. "We ran towards the river. Some of us tried to pull them out, but the water was just too deep. One by one, they disappeared beneath the surface." In a matter of moments, eight lives were lost. "I can't forget the helplessness of that moment," Shahrukh said. "We tried everything, but nothing worked. It was like the river just swallowed them."
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Railway passenger traffic rises 6% in FY25, crosses 7 billion mark
Passenger volume on the Indian Railways increased by 6 per cent in 2024-25 (FY25), riding on a 5 per cent rise in the reserved ticket category and 6.2 per cent growth in unreserved passenger volume. The Railways has been seeing a resurgence in passenger travel since its halt due to the Covid lockdown. For the first time in five years, the total passenger count crossed 7 billion. However, it is still below pre-Covid volumes. Historical data (since 2011) show that the Railways was carrying over 8 billion passengers for a decade before the lockdown, with peak volume in FY13 (8.49 billion passengers). Passengers travelling in sleeper class have also seen a reduction over the past two years. With the introduction of premium trains such as the Vande Bharat, railway revenue from chair car services has risen nearly four times in four years to ₹₹4,400 crore. According to officials, long-distance sleeper Vande Bharats, once introduced, will spur even higher revenue generation in the long-distance segments.