Prime Minister Narendra Modi will likely inaugurate the first-ever train service connecting Katra to the Kashmir Valley on 19 April, marking the fulfillment of a decades-long goal of bringing rail connectivity to the region.
The train will begin its journey from Katra in Reasi district, cross the challenging Pir Panjal mountain range, and travel through Srinagar before halting at its final stop in Baramulla, North Kashmir.
Joining PM Modi at the flagging-off ceremony will be Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah.
Currently, trains run between Sangaldan and Baramulla.
PM Modi’s Itinerary
On April 19, the Prime Minister will likely arrive at the Udhampur Army airport from Delhi and then fly to the Chenab rail bridge – touted as the world’s highest railway bridge – for a briefing on its construction.
Following this visit, the Prime Minister will proceed to Katra, the base camp for the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, from where he will launch the Vande Bharat train heading toward Kashmir.
Before his return to the capital later in the day, PM Modi will address a public rally in Katra.
Railway officials stated that once the expansion at Jammu Railway Station is complete – particularly the addition of new platforms – the train service to the Valley will begin from Jammu itself, likely by July or August.
Officials noted, “There will be no direct train from Delhi or any other part to Kashmir. The passengers will have to de-board at Katra and change the train. Later, the same process will shift to Jammu.”
Trial runs for the Katra-Baramulla route, including those with the Vande Bharat Express, have already been conducted successfully, and safety concerns have been addressed.
Of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), officials have commissioned 209 km over time.
The remaining 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra completed recently, paving the way for full operations.
The USBRL project, which cost Rs 41,000 crore, saw its earliest section – Qazigund to Baramulla – become operational in 2009.
Other segments followed in phases, with major progress seen last year.
Train Trials & Infrastructure Readiness
Officials conducted a successful electric train trial on 4 January along the Katra-Banihal stretch.
Additional tests, including those over the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges, have also completed.
The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express features advanced systems to handle extreme temperatures as low as -20°C.
Built by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the train includes onboard heating, anti-freeze technology, CCTV monitoring, emergency communication units, shatterproof windows, and a special anti-frost windshield.
The new train service is to significantly improve connectivity, especially during the winter months when the Jammu-Srinagar highway often shuts due to weather.
It is also to give a strong boost to tourism, agriculture, industry, education, and trade in the Valley, with freight transport becoming more affordable and reliable.
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