New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the first-ever rail link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India by the end of the first week of June. Railway authorities are making the final preparations for this historic event.
The Prime Minister will also flag off the Vande Bharat train service from Katra town in Jammu division to Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley in the coming days. Originally scheduled for April 19, the inauguration was postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
Further delays followed a terrorist attack on tourists in Pahalgam on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. In response, Indian armed forces launched Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6 and 7, targeting terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This led to heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, including thwarted drone attacks on India and subsequent Indian strikes on 11 airbases in Pakistan on May 10. After these escalations, military leaders from both sides agreed on a ceasefire.
Katra-Srinagar Rail Link
Currently, traveling from Katra to Srinagar by road takes about six to seven hours, while flights take under an hour. Katra is well connected by direct trains from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kanyakumari. The new Vande Bharat service between Katra and Srinagar promises a more comfortable and faster journey, allowing travelers to reach Katra by train from across the country before continuing to Kashmir by Vande Bharat.
The completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL) has enabled train services in Jammu and Kashmir. Trains currently run between Srinagar and Sangaldan railway stations, and with the final section between Sangaldan and Katra now completed, trains will soon operate along the full route. The Prime Minister is set to inaugurate this final section, following successful trial runs over recent weeks.
The USBRL project was initially planned and announced in 1994-95. While the section within the Kashmir Valley, between Qazigund and Baramulla, became operational by 2009, full connectivity beyond the Valley remained incomplete. The recent completion of key infrastructure such as the Anji Khand Bridge and the Chenab Bridge has now linked the Valley to the rest of the country by rail.
Due to the sensitive nature of the region, additional security measures are being planned at Katra station, including thorough security checks and frisking of passengers boarding trains to Kashmir.
Features of the Specially Designed Vande Bharat Train
The Vande Bharat train designed for this route includes unique features to withstand the region’s harsh winters, where temperatures often drop below freezing. These include heating elements in windshields, silicon heating pads in water and bio-toilet tanks, heated plumbing pipelines, and heaters in the toilets. The eight-coach train has one Executive Class coach and seven AC Chair Car coaches, ensuring comfort throughout the year.
These modifications were necessary due to the extreme weather conditions in Srinagar and surrounding areas, allowing reliable train service even in severe cold.
The inauguration of the Vande Bharat train service between Katra and the Kashmir Valley represents a major milestone in enhancing connectivity and boosting the region’s integration with the rest of India.
