Engineer going home for Eid, 3 brothers visiting Vaishno Devi – Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat takes off with 530 on board
ON SATURDAY morning, when the first Vande Bharat train with 530 passengers on board sounded the whistle at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi railway station here, it marked the beginning of a journey to Kashmir through various engineering marvels and three major geological thrust zones — Reasi, Murrie and Panjal.
An electrically propelled engine hauled eight coaches of Vande Bharat on a historic trip from Katra to Srinagar railway station, a distance of 189 km, at 8:10 am sharp. Of this, 78 km falls between Banihal and Srinagar, and 111 km between Katra and Banihal.
Nearly 97 km of this 111 km is through 27 tunnels, while another 7 km passes over 49 bridges, including the iconic Rail Arch Bridge over Chenab and the cable-stayed bridge over Anji Khad.
As the train left behind Katra town and entered the first 330-metre tunnel (T33) towards Reasi, Mohammad Yaseen, a young geological engineer from Kashmir, exclaimed, 'I have worked on its excavation.'
Yaseen was on his way home in Kashmir to celebrate Eid with his parents, wife and child.
Currently working on a railway line in Rishikesh, he arrived in Katra Saturday morning and boarded the Vande Bharat for Srinagar. 'My brother, who is coming home by air, is still at the Jammu airport, while I have almost reached Srinagar,' he said.
Many passengers were pilgrims and tourists to Vaishno Devi, who changed their plans at the last minute to take the historic ride.
Deepak Gupta, a government teacher from Uttar Pradesh, who came for 'darshan' with two younger brothers, was among them. 'On seeing that the ticket was available for Saturday in the first Vande Bharat to Kashmir, we decided to visit the Valley,' he said.
The three will visit the Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra on their return journey.
Anil Bhat, an IT engineer who migrated to Jammu with his parents from Kupwara district following the eruption of terrorism in 1990, said he is going to Kashmir after 35 years. Pointing out that he was 10 when his parents left the Valley, he said he has some faint memories of his native place.
Accompanied by his parents, wife and a teenage daughter, Anil said his father Mohan Lal Bhat, 77, was visiting Kashmir after 20 years.
'We just wanted to explore the train journey and the bridge,' he said, adding that they parked their car at the Katra railway station. 'We will stay in Srinagar for two-three days and I may visit my native place in Kupwara.'
As the train moved against the backdrop of the Shivaliks, Pir Panjal and the Himalayas, over India's highest and first cable-stayed rail bridge over Anji Khad and the world's highest rail bridge over Chenab river, the passengers were in awe.
'Our engineers have made it possible with their courage and determination,' said Kalpna Khatri, a housewife going to Kashmir for vacation with her husband and son. 'We are very excited as we will be in Srinagar in just three hours. Last time when we took a car, it took almost eight hours.'
The train also connects people and places in isolated and rugged Shivalik and Pir Panjal ranges, said Alam Din of Sopore, who was visiting Kashmir to celebrate Eid with his friends.
'Had it not been for the train, I would have celebrated Eid at home in Jammu,' he said. Alam also pointed out that the train will help people in need of medical help in Kashmir reach super-speciality hospitals outside the Valley.
The Katra-Srinagar rail line forms an important part of the 272-km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore.
With heated windshields, advanced heating systems and insulated toilets, the train has been designed to overcome the region's challenging geography.
During winter, a snow removal locomotive engine will move ahead to clear the tracks, while seismic dampers have been installed to absorb tremors, offering a safer and smoother journey in this high-risk zone, officials said.
Scheduled to run six days a week, it has CORAS commandos deployed on the train, apart from dedicated staff for maintenance.
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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
The marvel and meaning aboard train to Kashmir's first journey
Javid Ahmed wasn't expecting tourists at Srinagar station on a Saturday. 'We haven't had more than a handful of tourists for the past few weeks,' said the 29-year-old taxi driver. 'Business has been lean since Pahalgam.' But on a quiet Eid afternoon, a gleaming hulk of metal and glass rumbled into the deserted Srinagar station with over 500 passengers, catching shopkeepers, hawkers and taxi drivers — accustomed to mostly seeing train riders from within the valley — by surprise. This was a train from Jammu. The Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar made its inaugural journeys on Saturday, bridging Kashmir with India's rail network — the culmination of a decades-long project that overcame steep engineering challenges and evolving political considerations. Passengers emphasised that the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat, which takes less than three hours for a 190km trip, would reorient travel between Kashmir and the rest of India, making what was either an expensive or arduous journey significantly cheaper, faster and more reliable. 'The highway routes between the two regions are at the mercy of weather and topography,' said Kishore Uppal, who works in Baramulla and lives in Jammu. 'The narrow roads mean you could be stuck for hours even if a bus breaks down on a bend,' said the 66-year-old, who bought a ticket as soon as bookings opened. 'Travelling between home and work has always been a challenge for me. Flights are too expensive, especially during peak seasons. This train changes that completely,' said Uppal. But the two Chennai-made train sets, which run between Katra and Srinagar twice daily, may offer more than logistical relief. For residents of Jammu & Kashmir, the train may serve as salve for a Union territory bruised after the April 22 attack, which devastated the region's tourism recovery. 'We had no idea the trains would be packed. When we heard that the first train was full, we flocked to the station,' said Ahmed. The train's significance was evident even before it pulled out of Katra station in Jammu. Stationed on Platform 1 in orange and black and draped with garlands, the train drew dozens of people who jostled for photos at the train's nose while families pushed past each other. Many came to the platform just to film the train, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had flagged off on Friday. The first train departed for Srinagar at 8.10am, the second at 2.55pm. Both were booked to capacity, with 507 passengers each — families, traders, students and even local filmmakers. Each train made just one stop before Srinagar: at Banihal, where Jammu meets Kashmir. On its journey, the train cuts through stunning terrain, slicing through steep mountains, treacherous gorges and lush valleys. The first half passes through numerous tunnels, but passengers spring to the windows the moment the train emerges, phones ready. It also zips over the 1,315m-long Chenab bridge, sandwiched between Himalayan rockfaces and overlooking the imposing river more than 350m below. Many said they hurriedly rearranged their Eid schedules just to board the train. 'We actually had different plans for Eid,' said Aarif Hussain, who lives in Srinagar and was travelling with his family. 'But when we heard the trains were launching on Saturday, we booked a round-trip. We took the Vande Bharat from Srinagar to Katra, then caught the next one for the return journey,' said the 25-year-old UPSC aspirant. 'The train really is a game-changer for us. Road travel was inconvenient because of the unpredictability and discomfort. People get caught in landslides for days. And a one-way ticket from Srinagar to Jammu can cost upwards of ₹25,000 at peak times,' he said. Kashmir has waited years for this train, said Hussain. Work on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) spanned over three decades, since the project was commissioned in 1994-95. Modi's inauguration of the 63km link between Katra and Sangaldan in Jammu was the final piece, giving Kashmir its first rail connection with the rest of the country. Previously, people wanting to traverse the two regions could only take local trains between Sangaldan town in Jammu and Baramulla in Kashmir. Azhar Hussain, who lives in Srinagar, said the link would simplify commerce between the regions. The flow of apples from Kashmir to Jammu would be vastly streamlined, said the 32-year-old, who works in agro-chemicals. 'When freight services begin on this link, they will hugely ease industry headaches. Right now, apples can take three or four days to reach Jammu. Add the significant temperature difference between the regions, which stresses the fruit further,' he said. 'Now, theoretically, a crate of apples should reach Delhi from Srinagar in 12 hours,' he said. The Vande Bharat Express from Delhi to Katra takes around eight hours. Jaspreet Sabharwal, a homemaker from Jammu travelling with her husband Vikram, a doctor who works in Srinagar, said she had waited 25 years for this line. 'I've been hoping for this connection since I got married. My husband's journeys will become much easier, and so will mine,' she said. A Jammu & Kashmir Police officer travelling with his family said the line will help foster business and friendships with other states. 'This line is culturally just as important as it is strategically or for trade,' he said, declining to be named. 'Look, the first step to integration is connectivity. There's little point discussing improved relations between Kashmir and other parts of India if travel is so difficult. This train and this line will, if nothing else, mean people come to Kashmir more freely, more often,' said Aarif Hussain. 'And that's an important first step.' The service will expand over the coming months depending on demand, said railway officials. 'The infrastructure to expand the service is in place. Customer demand will dictate how soon we roll out those options,' said a Jammu division railway official who requested anonymity. But in an otherwise jubilant Vande Bharat, nine-year-old Viraj Thakur insisted he had a valid complaint. 'There are so many tunnels. How do I look outside?'
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
Engineer going home for Eid, 3 brothers visiting Vaishno Devi – Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat takes off with 530 on board
ON SATURDAY morning, when the first Vande Bharat train with 530 passengers on board sounded the whistle at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi railway station here, it marked the beginning of a journey to Kashmir through various engineering marvels and three major geological thrust zones — Reasi, Murrie and Panjal. An electrically propelled engine hauled eight coaches of Vande Bharat on a historic trip from Katra to Srinagar railway station, a distance of 189 km, at 8:10 am sharp. Of this, 78 km falls between Banihal and Srinagar, and 111 km between Katra and Banihal. Nearly 97 km of this 111 km is through 27 tunnels, while another 7 km passes over 49 bridges, including the iconic Rail Arch Bridge over Chenab and the cable-stayed bridge over Anji Khad. As the train left behind Katra town and entered the first 330-metre tunnel (T33) towards Reasi, Mohammad Yaseen, a young geological engineer from Kashmir, exclaimed, 'I have worked on its excavation.' Yaseen was on his way home in Kashmir to celebrate Eid with his parents, wife and child. Currently working on a railway line in Rishikesh, he arrived in Katra Saturday morning and boarded the Vande Bharat for Srinagar. 'My brother, who is coming home by air, is still at the Jammu airport, while I have almost reached Srinagar,' he said. Many passengers were pilgrims and tourists to Vaishno Devi, who changed their plans at the last minute to take the historic ride. Deepak Gupta, a government teacher from Uttar Pradesh, who came for 'darshan' with two younger brothers, was among them. 'On seeing that the ticket was available for Saturday in the first Vande Bharat to Kashmir, we decided to visit the Valley,' he said. The three will visit the Vaishno Devi shrine near Katra on their return journey. Anil Bhat, an IT engineer who migrated to Jammu with his parents from Kupwara district following the eruption of terrorism in 1990, said he is going to Kashmir after 35 years. Pointing out that he was 10 when his parents left the Valley, he said he has some faint memories of his native place. Accompanied by his parents, wife and a teenage daughter, Anil said his father Mohan Lal Bhat, 77, was visiting Kashmir after 20 years. 'We just wanted to explore the train journey and the bridge,' he said, adding that they parked their car at the Katra railway station. 'We will stay in Srinagar for two-three days and I may visit my native place in Kupwara.' As the train moved against the backdrop of the Shivaliks, Pir Panjal and the Himalayas, over India's highest and first cable-stayed rail bridge over Anji Khad and the world's highest rail bridge over Chenab river, the passengers were in awe. 'Our engineers have made it possible with their courage and determination,' said Kalpna Khatri, a housewife going to Kashmir for vacation with her husband and son. 'We are very excited as we will be in Srinagar in just three hours. Last time when we took a car, it took almost eight hours.' The train also connects people and places in isolated and rugged Shivalik and Pir Panjal ranges, said Alam Din of Sopore, who was visiting Kashmir to celebrate Eid with his friends. 'Had it not been for the train, I would have celebrated Eid at home in Jammu,' he said. Alam also pointed out that the train will help people in need of medical help in Kashmir reach super-speciality hospitals outside the Valley. The Katra-Srinagar rail line forms an important part of the 272-km Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), which has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore. With heated windshields, advanced heating systems and insulated toilets, the train has been designed to overcome the region's challenging geography. During winter, a snow removal locomotive engine will move ahead to clear the tracks, while seismic dampers have been installed to absorb tremors, offering a safer and smoother journey in this high-risk zone, officials said. Scheduled to run six days a week, it has CORAS commandos deployed on the train, apart from dedicated staff for maintenance.
The Print
5 hours ago
- The Print
Northern Railways begins commercial operations of Vande Bharat train between Katra and Srinagar
Passengers who boarded the trains from Katra to Baramulla, or vice versa, expressed immense enthusiasm, with many stating they had eagerly awaited the opportunity to travel to Kashmir by train. The Vande Bharat express train, which was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Katra on June 6, connects Kashmir with the rest of the country through rail. Jammu, Jun 7 (PTI) The Northern Railways on Saturday commenced commercial operations of Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar, officials said. The first day of commercial operations went smoothly, as the trains reached their destinations by the evening, officials said. They added that public excitement was high, with most of the seats booked within hours of the train's inauguration. According to Northern Railway, two Vande Bharat train sets made four trips during the day between Katra and Srinagar. They said the train has two travel classes — Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) — with tickets priced at Rs 715 and Rs 1,320, respectively. PTI AB NB NB This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
