On 17th February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the train to Kashmir Valley. This inauguration will fulfill the 70-year-old dream of rail service to the Kashmir valley.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) includes India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge which has a 331-metre-high pylon.
The Chenab Railway Bridge is the tallest railway bridge in the world, standing 359 meters above the river bed. This bridge is also the world’s highest arch bridge.
Additionally, the USBRL includes over two dozen small and large tunnels that make the journey shorter for the Vande Bharat train. It has been designed with climate-friendly technology. Following this, its air-brake system is also optimised for maximum efficacy in sub-zero temperatures.
The train will have fully air-conditioned coaches, automatic plug doors, mobile charging sockets, facility to order food and many more, including a special defrosting mechanism for the driver’s windshield.
Stoppages in the route:
As per reports, initially, this train will run between Katra and Srinagar. After a few months, the route will be extended from Jammu to Srinagar. On this route, the train will complete the journey in about two and a half to three hours. Passengers coming from Delhi or other cities will have to first reach Katra and then from there take the Vande Bharat train to Srinagar.
The train will have only chair car coaches, which include general chair car and executive chair car. The train fare has been fixed from Rs 1500 to Rs 1700 for the AC Chair Car and Rs 2400 to Rs 2600 for the Executive Chair Car.
There are 38 tunnels and 927 bridges on the route. Till now, 10 lakh devotees have reached Mata Vaishno Devi temple in 2024. Now these devotees will get to see the beautiful valleys of Kashmir from Banihal to Baramulla in a single journey.
This train to Kashmir Valley will boost tourism, horticulture, industries, and education as well as benefit citizens.
The compulsory deboarding at Katra railway station will end in August this year as the renovation and upgradation of the railway station at Jammu will be completed with the requirements of the state-of-the-art Vande Bharat train service.
- Reasi
- Bakkal
- Dugga
- Sawalkot
- Sangaldan
- Sumber
- Khari
- Banihal
- Qazigund
- Sadura
- Anantnag
- Bijbehara
- Panzgam
- Awantipora
- Ratnipora
- Kakapora
- Pampore