Srinagar, Jan 07: The much-awaited Vande Bharat Express is set to arrive at Budgam railway station on Thursday for scheduled maintenance operations, marking a significant advancement in the railway infrastructure of Kashmir region.
A senior Northern Railways official told Rising Kashmir that the Vande Bharat Express is expected to reach Budgam railway station on Thursday and for those preparations are being finalized.
“On January 9th, this train will be dispatched from SSB to the Budgam (BDGM) shed in the early morning, operating under its own power. The rake will be fully prepared for the training of staff and maintenance checks at Budgam,” he said, adding that final arrangements have been finalized in this regard.
The Vande Bharat Express, known for its modern design, high speed, and advanced features, has been instrumental in enhancing connectivity across India.
He further said that the train will undergo a series of maintenance checks, including inspections of its electrical systems, brakes, and other critical components.
“The maintenance activities are part of the regular upkeep protocol to ensure the train operates at peak efficiency and safety standards,” he added.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Railway Safety (Northern Circle) Dinesh Chand Deshwal on Tuesday began his two-day statutory inspection of the recently completed railway line along the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
In an official communiqué, the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India, has directed Northern Railways to arrange the movement of the inspection carriage nominated for the Commissioner of Railways Safety, Northern Circle, New Delhi.
This is for the statutory inspection of the Katra-Reasi (16.501 km) section, part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla New Broad Gauge Rail Link Project will continue on Jan 8.
The CAO USBRL, CBE, CSE, COM-G, CEGE from Railways headquarters DMR/FZR, and BOs are accompanying the Commissioner of Railways Safety.
“The CRS inspection will continue on Thursday and will submit an inspection report to the Union government upon returning to New Delhi,” he added.
The inspection will include a detailed examination of the track using a trolley. It will cover tracks, electrification work, tunnels, and bridges. Following this, CRS Deshwal and other officials will attend a high-level meeting with railway officers in Jammu.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the Jammu Division of Indian Railways – a move that fulfils a long-pending demand from the region. This comes weeks before the Modi government launches the first direct train service to Kashmir in six decades.
The new Jammu Division, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi through a video link as part of a series of new Indian Railway projects, is the Indian Railways’ 70th overall and the sixth under Northern Railways after Ambala, Delhi, Lucknow, Moradabad and Firozpur.
Describing the opening of the Jammu Railway Division as a historic step in the integration of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) into the national railway network, PM Modi hailed the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) as an engineering marvel.
During a virtual inauguration ceremony, PM Modi called the establishment of the Jammu Railway Division a significant milestone.
Northern Railway has announced the train timings for the Katra-Srinagar route, providing multiple options for passengers traveling between the two destinations.
The Vande Bharat Express will depart from Katra at 8:10 AM and is scheduled to arrive in Srinagar at 11:20 AM. For those preferring a later departure, the Mail Express will leave Katra at 9:50 AM and reach Srinagar by 1:10 PM. Additionally, another Mail Express service will depart from Katra at 3:00 PM, arriving in Srinagar at 6:20 PM.
