First Vande Bharat Train Between Katra And Srinagar To Be Launched By PM Modi This Month—All About It

Kashmir is set to get its first Vande Bharat express later this month with the launch of the Katra-Srinagar service on the recently completed Udampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).

The first-ever Vande Bharat to Kashmir will be reportedly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19 April, reported Business Standard.

The inauguration from Katra will be the culmination of a several decades journey to provide rail connectivity between the Valley and the rest of the country.

The ceremony will be attended by Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister Jitendra Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, J&K CM Omar Abdullah, and other dignitaries.

Currently, train services in Kashmir run only between Baramulla and Sangaldan, with long-distance trains ending at Katra.

The new Vande Bharat will fill this gap, running from Katra to Srinagar/Baramulla, enabling commuters to travel directly to Kashmir by train for the first time.

The service will be extended to Jammu once station work is done.

The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express aims to boost tourism and provide a reliable travel option for both locals and visitors in the region.

The train is one of the components of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, a large infrastructure project to improve connectivity in the region. The rail link is 272 km long.

The train will operate on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), covering a distance of over 150 km between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) station and Srinagar station in around 2 hours and 30 minutes.

A standout feature of this route is the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world, a symbol of India's engineering might.

Prior to the official inauguration, Prime Minister Modi will visit the iconic Chenab Bridge located in Reasi district.

After inspecting the bridge, the Prime Minister will go to Katra to dedicate the train service and speak at a public meeting.

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