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The Hindu
3 days ago
- The Hindu
Passengers call Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat a ‘great move' to connect Kashmir with rest of India
The inaugural ride of the Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar and Katra has drawn praise from passengers, many of whom described the new service as offering "unmatched convenience," making travel "much easier", "possible and comfortable," while hailing it as a "great move by the government" to connect Kashmir with the rest of India. Tourists and locals alike hailed the launch as a historic moment, saying it would not only cut down travel time but also boost tourism and make Kashmir more accessible. Speaking to ANI, Ashok Kumar Khajanchi, a tourist from Bikaner in Rajasthan, shared his experience, "We came from Bikaner to Mumbai and then to Srinagar. We've visited places like Belgaum, Gulmarg, and Sonamarg. Many had tried to scare us into cancelling our trip, but we were determined. When we heard Vande Bharat was running, we cancelled our taxi to Jammu Tawi, even though we lost Rs 6,000. We booked Vande Bharat tickets at 7 PM and reached Srinagar by 8 PM. Due to my health problems, the train made travel much easier." Khajanchi, who is recovering from a foot fracture, added, "The convenience offered by Vande Bharat is unmatched. I had two fractures, so we had to cancel our earlier car and train bookings. But this train made the journey possible and comfortable." PM Modi J&K visit highlights His wife, Manju Khajanchi, also expressed satisfaction with their Kashmir trip. "We've spent five days in Srinagar. The weather is lovely, and people are welcoming. Whatever you hear in the news is far from reality. It's peaceful and beautiful--just like a paradise," she said, standing at Srinagar railway station before boarding the train back to Katra. Another traveller highlighted the new service's time-saving aspect: "Earlier, travelling to Jammu meant taking a flight or a long taxi ride. Now, the Vande Bharat train will make the same journey in nearly the same time as a flight. It's a great move by the government to connect Kashmir with the rest of India." He added, "This will benefit not just tourists but also officials and local commuters. Once extended to Jammu in two months, the journey will become even smoother. People from the South who earlier avoided long flights or multiple modes of transport can now come by train." With the commencement of this route, many believe Kashmir will witness a sharp rise in tourism, as Vande Bharat promises a fast, reliable, and scenic journey through the valley. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra Railway Station, officially connecting the Jammu division with Kashmir via rail. This marks a major milestone in strengthening railway infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. During his visit, PM Modi also inaugurated the world's highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River. Speaking on the occasion, he said the development projects will further boost Jammu and Kashmir's growth journey. The train passes through two engineering marvels: the Anji Khad Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
PM Modi to inaugurate Kashmir's first all-weather rail link with Delhi via Katra
Kashmir is set to finally have a rail link with the rest of the country, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Srinagar–Jammu–Delhi rail link on June 6 at the Katra end in Jammu's Udhampur district. The Vande Bharat Express between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar will begin regular operations from June 7, officials said. Prime Minister Modi, in a post on social media platform X, said, 'Tomorrow, 6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth ₹46,000 crores are being inaugurated which will have a very positive impact on people's lives.' Considered an engineering marvel, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar, he said. 'The Anji Bridge stands tall as India's first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging,' he added. The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which will now be fully operational, ensures all-weather connectivity. 'The Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities,' the Prime Minister said. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also shared his anticipation on X. 'Visited the tallest railway bridge in the world, the Chenab Bridge, to review arrangements for the visit of the Hon PM Modi ji tomorrow. Tomorrow is a landmark day for J&K when, finally, the valley will be connected to the rest of the country by a railway link to be inaugurated at the hands of the Hon PM,' he said. 'I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. This rail project began when I was in the 7th or 8th class. Now, even my children have started working after completing school and college. But better late than never,' Mr. Abdullah said, expressing hope for the positive impact of the project on the region's economy. 'Whenever the highway gets blocked, the airlines start selling tickets of ₹5,000 for ₹20,000. Such issues will be solved from now on. Our horticulture produce like cherry and apple will be ferried.' Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that a direct rail service between Srinagar and Delhi will commence in September once platforms 5 and 6 are ready at Jammu Railway Station. In the meanwhile, following the inauguration by PM Modi from June 7 onwards, two pairs of Vande Bharat Express will begin regular operations between Katra Srinagar route. Following the inauguration, two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains — 26404/26403 and 26401/26402 — will run on the Srinagar–Katra–Srinagar route with intermediate stops at Banihal. The 26404 train will depart Srinagar at 8 a.m., halt at Banihal at 9:02 a.m., and reach Katra at 10:58 a.m. The return service (26403) will leave Katra at 2:55 p.m., reach Banihal at 4:40 p.m., and arrive in Srinagar at 5:53 p.m. These trains will run six days a week, excluding Wednesday. The other service, 26401, will depart from Katra at 8:10 a.m., reach Banihal at 9:58 a.m., and arrive in Srinagar at 11:08 a.m., while 26402 will leave Srinagar at 2 p.m., reach Banihal at 3:10 p.m., and arrive at Katra at 4:58 p.m. This pair will also operate six days a week, excluding Tuesday. After inaugurating the train service, Mr. Modi is expected to visit the deck of the Chenab Bridge around 11 a.m., followed by a visit to the Anji Khad Bridge. Engineering marvels The Chenab Rail Bridge, which stands 359 metres above the riverbed — 35 metres higher than the Eiffel Tower — is being hailed as the world's highest railway arch bridge. The 1,315-metre-long structure, designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h, is built at a cost of ₹1,486 crore and has a projected life of 120 years. The Anji Khad Bridge, meanwhile, is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. Towering 331 metres above the riverbed and stretching 725 metres, it features 96 high-tensile cables and a 193-metre inverted Y-shaped pylon. It is constructed using over 8,200 metric tonnes of structural steel, with a total cable strand length of 653 km. The 272-km USBRL project, constructed at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, comprises 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges that traverse rugged Himalayan terrain. Central Reserve Police Force personnel have been deployed for security across the USBRL, especially on the Katra–Baramulla stretch and around the Chenab Bridge. The Army, Railway Protection Force, and Government Railway Police are also involved in the security arrangements. This visit marks PM Modi's first to J&K since the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and follows a recent four-day military standoff with Pakistan.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Vande Bharat from Katra to Srinagar: New Indian Railways trains on USBRL via Chenab bridge to start from this date; check full schedule, stoppages & train numbers
Kashmir will finally get all-weather railway connectivity with the rest of India. Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 272 kilometres long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project in Jammu & Kashmir on June 6. As part of the launch, PM Modi will inaugurate the Chenab railway bridge, Anji Khad railway bridge and flag off two pairs of new Vande Bharat train services as well. With this inauguration, Kashmir will finally get all-weather railway connectivity with the rest of India. Indian Railways will commence regular operations of the two new Vande Bharat Express trains to Kashmir from June 7, 2025 - a day after PM Modi's inauguration of train services to Kashmir. The two Vande Bharat Express trains will run six days in a week. To begin with, train services will start from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar. This is because the Jammu Tawi railway station is currently undergoing redevelopment work under the Amrit Bharat station scheme. Once that is completed, the Vande Bharat Express train services will extend up to Jammu from Srinagar. Vande Bharat Express for Kashmir : Schedule of Train Number 26401/26402 Train number 26401 will leave the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station at 8:10 AM to reach Srinagar railway station at 11:08 AM, taking less than 3 hours. En route it will halt at the Banihal railway station at 9:58 AM. In the return direction, train number 26402 will depart from the Srinagar railway station at 2:00 PM to end its journey at Katra railway station at 4:48 PM, again taking less than 3 hours between the two stations. It will stop at Banihal railway station at 3:10 PM. These two train services will run on all days of the week except Tuesday. Vande Bharat Express for Kashmir: Schedule of Train Number 26403/26404 Train number 26404 will start from Srinagar railway station at 8:00 AM in the morning to reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station at 10:58 AM, taking a total of 2 hours and 58 minutes. En route the train will stop at Banihal at 9:02 AM. On the return journey, train number 26403 will commence its journey from Katra at 2:55 PM to reach Srinagar railway station at 5:53 PM taking a total of 2 hours and 58 minutes for the journey. It will stop at Banihal railway station en route at 4:40 PM. These two train services will run on all days of the week except Wednesday. Indian Railways Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link The Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) stands as one of independent India's most significant Indian Railways projects. This remarkable 272-kilometre railway network, constructed at ₹43,780 crore, traverses the challenging Himalayan terrain. The railway line comprises 36 tunnels extending across 119 kilometres, alongside 943 bridges that connect various valleys, ridges and mountain passes. This engineering achievement provides vital rail connectivity to isolated regions, whilst fostering enhanced transportation, commerce and tourism opportunities throughout Jammu and Kashmir. Two of the most important bridges on this stretch are the Chenab bridge and Anji Khad bridge. Chenab railway bridge is the world's highest railway arch bridge and Ani Khad is Indian Railways' first cable-stayed bridge. The Vande Bharat Express being put to service on the Jammu-Srinagar route is specifically engineered to withstand severe winter conditions in the Himalayan region. The train maintains efficient functionality at temperatures dropping to minus 20 degrees Celsius. The incorporation of heated windscreens, sophisticated heating mechanisms and thermally insulated lavatories will ensure year-round operations whilst maintaining passenger comfort. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- The Hindu
Several trains short-terminated, cancelled to facilitate works
Five trains originating from or terminating at Visakhapatnam have been cancelled on June 2 and another on June 3 to facilitate the Pre-Non-Interlock & Non-Interlock works in the Rayagada-Vizianagaram section of Waltair Railway Division. The trains that have been cancelled on June 2 are 58538 Visakhapatnam-Koraput Passenger, 58537 Koraput- Visakhapatnam Passenger, 18512 Visakhapatnam-Koraput Bi-Weekly Express, 58528 Visakhapatnam- Raipur Passenger and 58527 Raipur- Visakhapatnam Passenger. Train no. 18511 Koraput- Visakhapatnam Bi-Weekly Express has been cancelled on June 3, according to K. Saandeep, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager. Meanwhile, train no. 17243 Guntur-Rayagada Express, scheduled to leave Guntur on June 1, will be short-terminated in Vizianagaram, and 17244 Rayagada-Guntur Express will leave from Vizianagaram instead of Rayagada on June 2. Rescheduled services Train no. 20830 Visakhapatnam-Durg Vande Bharat Express has been rescheduled and it will leave Visakhapatnam at 6.50 p.m. on June 2, instead of its scheduled departure at 2.50 p.m. Train number 20829 Durg - Visakhapatnam Vande Bharat Express has been rescheduled to leave Durg at 10.15 a.m. on June 2, instead of its scheduled departure at 5.45 a.m. Train no. 18190 Ernakulam-Tata Express, scheduled to leave Ernakulam on June 1 will leave at 10.15 a.m. instead of its scheduled departure at 7.15 a.m. Train no. 13352 Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express, scheduled to leave Alappuzha on June 1, will depart at 8 a.m., instead of its scheduled departure at 6 a.m. The railway authorities have urged the passengers to take a note of the changes and plan their journey accordingly.
United News of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- United News of India
35 railway stations under modernisation: Rajeev Chandrasekhar
Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 (UNI) The modernization of 35 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Scheme and the construction of 55 major railway overbridges fully funded by the Centre are progressing steadily in Kerala, BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar has said. "In a significant step towards enhancing railway infrastructure in Kerala, Vande Bharat Sleeper trains are set to become a reality. The proposed sleeper service along the Jammu–Kanyakumari route marks a major milestone and holds special significance for Kerala," the BJP President said in a message. The Railway Board recently approved expanding the Thiruvananthapuram–Mangaluru Vande Bharat Express, from its current configuration of 8 coaches to 16, he pointed out. The decision on the Vande Bharat sleeper coaches came along, signaling a continued push towards strengthening Kerala's rail network, he added. "Apart from these initiatives, the central government has also announced that it will fully fund the construction of 55 major railway overbridges in Kerala." These combined efforts highlight the Modi government's commitment to accelerating infrastructure development, bringing closer to realizing the vision of 'ViksitaKeralam' becoming a reality and a key player in the nation's growth story. UNI DS PRS
