What Makes J&K's Vande Bharat One Of A Kind

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025 inaugurated the first Vande Bharat Express train in Jammu and Kashmir, flagging it off from Katra in Jammu to Srinagar after the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL).

This marks the first time the Kashmir Valley is connected year-round by rail to the rest of India.

Previously, trains only operated within the Valley (Banihal to Baramulla) and in the Jammu region (Jammu-Udhampur-Katra), but no direct rail link existed between the two.

The new Vande Bharat train is custom-built for Himalayan winter conditions, includes heated windscreens, thermally insulated lavatories, and advanced sub-zero heating systems.

The train can operate in temperatures as low as -20°C.

Travel time between Katra and Srinagar has been reduced to just 3 hours, cutting the journey by 2 to 3 hours.

Modi also flagged off a return train from Srinagar to Katra, and regular operations begin today, June 7.

Once the redevelopment of Jammu Tawi station is complete, the route will extend further south.

This was Modi's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir since Operation Sindoor, highlighting the project's political and strategic importance.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Vande Bharat Express to inaugurate the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat service at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi station in Katra. All photographs: Umar Ganie for Rediff

IMAGE: Security personnel keep a vigil at the railway station.

IMAGE: Security has been significantly stepped up in the area.

IMAGE: Passengers wait to get into the Vande Bharat train.

IMAGE: Vande Bharat trains will begin regular service on June 7, operating six days a week with stops at Banihal.

IMAGE: The Vande Bharat train is equipped with heated windscreens so it automatically removes frost, improving the driver visibility in extreme cold conditions.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff