Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Katra to Srinagar on Friday, marking a historic moment in Jammu and Kashmir’s connectivity. Katra, the base town for the revered Vaishnodevi temple, will now be directly linked to Srinagar with significantly reduced travel time. The journey that once took many hours will now take just three, proving especially beneficial for pilgrims and tourists.

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, and Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were present at the inauguration ceremony.

This rail link has been launched keeping in mind the region’s need for year-round, all-weather connectivity. The newly introduced Vande Bharat trains are specially equipped to operate in harsh climatic conditions. These climate-adaptive trains feature heated windscreens, thermally insulated lavatories, and onboard heating systems designed to function even in sub-zero temperatures—ensuring comfort and safety during the winter months.

In addition to the train launch, PM Modi also inaugurated the Chenab Bridge and the Anji Bridge. Notably, the Chenab Bridge is now the world’s highest rail arch bridge, and its completion marks a major engineering milestone. This railway network fulfills a long-cherished dream of linking Kashmir with the rest of India through a reliable and fast rail system.

The launch was initially scheduled for April 19 but was postponed due to adverse weather conditions. Following the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 and the subsequent “Operation Sindoor,” during which Indian Armed Forces carried out precision strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the launch was further delayed.

Today’s developments symbolize resilience, progress, and a new era of connectivity for Jammu and Kashmir.

This isn’t India’s only recent Vande Bharat expansion. Other notable launches include:

• Howrah–Puri, Chennai–Mysuru, Kalaburagi–Bengaluru, and Visakhapatnam–Bhubaneswar routes in year 2023–2024

• Upcoming or newly started daytime trains like Bikaner–Delhi, Ahmedabad–Udaipur, Lucknow–Chhapra, Ajmer–Chandigarh, and Bhopal–Delhi.

• The Delhi–Srinagar night sleeper Vande Bharat, set to begin direct overnight services

• Indian Railways is also rolling out 10 new Vande Bharat sleeper trains across long-distance routes