New Delhi, April 29 (IANS) Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is set to flag off the extended Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat Express service from Jammu Tawi Railway Station on Thursday.
The train, which previously operated from Srinagar up to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, will now run all the way to Jammu Tawi, bringing the country's most modern train directly to J&K's largest city and railway hub, according to a Railways Ministry statement.
While flag-off marks the inaugural run, the extended Jammu Tawi–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will enter regular service from May 2, 2026. Two pairs of services will operate across the corridor, covering a distance of around 266 km.
The first service (Train No. 26401) departs Jammu Tawi at 6:20 AM, halts at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Reasi, and Banihal, arriving at Srinagar at 11:10 AM, a journey of four hours and fifty minutes. Its return (Train No. 26402) leaves Srinagar at 2:00 PM and reaches Jammu Tawi by 6:50 PM. This pair runs six days a week, except Tuesday.
The second service (Train No. 26404) departs Srinagar at 8:00 AM, halts at Banihal and Katra, and arrives at Jammu Tawi by 12:40 PM. Its return (Train No. 26403) departs Jammu Tawi at 1:20 PM and reaches Srinagar by 6:00 PM. This pair runs six days a week, except Wednesday, informed the ministry.
“Together, the two pairs ensure that passengers have a morning and an afternoon Vande Bharat option from both ends of the corridor on most days of the week, giving travellers meaningful flexibility in planning their journeys,” it added.
Following the flag-off, the Union Minister will subsequently inspect two of the most remarkable engineering structures on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), the Anji Bridge and the Chenab Bridge.
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express on June 6, 2025, the train ran with 8 coaches.
Since then, the train has consistently been running at full capacity, with an overwhelming response from passengers.
The decision to augment the rake to 20 coaches is a direct response to that demand, more than doubling the train's seating capacity at a stroke, and significantly easing the pressure on reservations and waitlists, particularly during peak pilgrimage and tourist seasons.
With the extension to Jammu Tawi happening simultaneously, the 20-coach Vande Bharat arrives at its largest catchment city with the capacity to match it, a train finally built to the scale of the demand it has always inspired.
--IANS
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