The Union Minister for Railways will flag off the extended Srinagar–Katra Vande Bharat Express from Jammu Tawi tomorrow, completing its run to the territory's largest city and railway hub. The rake has been augmented from eight to 20 coaches to meet sustained demand, and the minister will also inspect the Anji Khad Bridge and the Chenab Rail Bridge on the Udhampur?Srinagar?Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). The extended service will enter regular operation from two May 2026 and will benefit pilgrims, tourists, traders and local commuters.

The augmentation more than doubles seating capacity and is aimed at easing pressure on reservations and waitlists during peak pilgrimage and tourist seasons. Two pairs of services will operate across the corridor covering 266 km, providing morning and afternoon options from both ends on most days. The change removes a previously mandatory interchange at Katra for passengers arriving at Jammu Tawi, allowing a single uninterrupted rail journey between Srinagar and Jammu Tawi.

The first pair will depart Jammu Tawi in the morning and reach Srinagar in under five hours, with a scheduled journey time of four hours and 50 minutes, running six days a week, except Tuesday. The second pair will provide a complementary morning departure from Srinagar and an afternoon return from Jammu Tawi, operating six days a week, except Wednesday. Together the services aim to give travellers meaningful flexibility and improve direct connectivity to the national rail network without interchange.

The extension is intended to ease pilgrimage circuits by allowing devotees to travel from Jammu Tawi to the Vaishno Devi base camp at Katra and onwards to Srinagar without changing trains, and to attract more tourists who can traverse the Chenab and Anji bridges. The minister will inspect the Anji Khad Bridge, rising 331 metres above the valley, and the Chenab Rail Bridge at 359 metres above the riverbed, both vital elements of the Udhampur?Srinagar?Baramulla Rail Link. The 272 km project was built at a total cost of Rs 437,800 mn and includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges.