Srinagar, June 5: Indian Railways will commence regular operations of two new Vande Bharat Express trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar from June 7, following their official inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tomorrow, June 6. The trains will offer passengers a fast, reliable, and modern travel option, running six days a week in both directions, officials said on Thursday.
Prime Minister Modi is expected to flag off the two specially designed Vande Bharat trains running between Srinagar and Katra on June 6, marking the completion of the long-awaited project to link Kashmir to the rest of the country, first initiated 42 years ago.
The last stretch of the 272-km-long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) — the 111-km Katra-Banihal section — was completed in January this year.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also announced that direct Vande Bharat services between Jammu and Srinagar will commence from September, after the completion of work at Jammu Railway Station. Speaking to reporters, he said, “Work on Jammu Railway Station is ongoing and is expected to be completed by September. After platforms 5 and 6 become operational, Vande Bharat trains will run directly between Jammu and Srinagar.”
The Railway Minister recently inspected the ongoing development works at Jammu Railway Station.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay confirmed that the inaugural run of the new service will take place on June 6 by Prime Minister Modi, followed by the commencement of regular operations from June 7 in both directions.
For public convenience, the Railways has notified the introduction of Train Nos. 26402/26401 and 26404/26403 Vande Bharat Express trains to operate between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar. The inaugural run will be conducted with special train numbers 02401 and 02402, the CPRO said.
On June 6, Train No. 02401 will depart from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) at 11:45 AM, halt at Sangaldan (SGDN) at 12:45 PM, and arrive in Srinagar (SINA) at 3:45 PM. In the return direction, Train No. 02402 will leave Srinagar at 11:45 AM and reach SVDK at 2:50 PM the same day.
From June 7, regular services will operate six days a week with two train pairs running between the two destinations under separate train numbers and schedules.
“The first pair, Train Nos. 26404/26403, will run six days a week except Wednesdays. Train No. 26404 will depart Srinagar at 8:00 AM, stop at Banihal (BAHL) at 9:00 AM, and reach SVDK at 10:58 AM. In the reverse direction, Train No. 26403 will leave SVDK at 2:55 PM, halt at Banihal at 4:40 PM, and arrive in Srinagar at 5:53 PM,” he said.
The second pair, Train Nos. 26401/26402, will also run six days a week except Tuesdays. Train No. 26401 will depart SVDK at 8:10 AM, reach Banihal at 9:56 AM, and terminate in Srinagar at 11:08 AM. The return service, Train No. 26402, will leave Srinagar at 2:00 PM, halt at Banihal at 3:08 PM, and arrive at SVDK at 4:58 PM.
The train offers two travel classes to suit different passenger preferences: Chair Car (CC): ₹715 and Executive Chair Car (EC): ₹1,320. Both classes provide modern seating, onboard catering, and a comfortable travel experience, making the Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat Express the ideal choice for business travelers, tourists, and devotees alike.
“The launch of these Vande Bharat trains marks a major step forward in enhancing fast, efficient, and comfortable rail travel for passengers between Kashmir Valley and the rest of the region,” Upadhyay added.
He noted that the new service would greatly benefit pilgrims, tourists, and daily commuters by offering a world-class travel experience with reduced travel time and modern onboard facilities.
Meanwhile, one hundred and seventy passengers have already booked their reservation for travelling in the Vande Bharat, India’s high speed train scheduled to Kashmir from Katra on June 7, a day after the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi will flag off this train.
The Vande Bharat has a total capacity of around 374, some chair class and few seats in other category. The number of passengers will go up as the reservation is online.
“Till now, we have reservation of 170 passengers to travel from Katra to Kashmir for June 7, while 204 seats are still available,” senior Railway engineer, Udipan Sharma informed Rising Kashmir.
