&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to flag off extended Srinagar–Jammu Vande Bharat tomorrow")
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will flag off the extended Srinagar–Jammu Tawi Vande Bharat Express service on April 30, 2026, marking a major upgrade in rail connectivity across Jammu and Kashmir. The inaugural run will depart from Jammu Tawi Railway Station, extending the train’s earlier route from Srinagar–Katra to now include Jammu Tawi, the region’s largest rail hub.
The enhanced service comes with a significant capacity boost, expanding from 8 to 20 coaches in response to sustained high demand since its initial launch by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025. The augmentation is expected to ease waitlists and accommodate more passengers, particularly during peak pilgrimage and tourist seasons.
Regular operations of the extended service will begin on May 2, 2026, with two pairs of trains running six days a week. Covering approximately 266 km, the route will connect Jammu Tawi, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Reasi, Banihal, and Srinagar, offering both morning and afternoon travel options in each direction.
The extension eliminates the need for passengers to change trains at Katra, enabling a seamless journey between Jammu and Srinagar. This is expected to particularly benefit pilgrims traveling to Vaishno Devi and those continuing onward for the Amarnath Yatra via Srinagar, as well as tourists, traders, and daily commuters. Officials say the move will also provide a reliable alternative during winter months when the Jammu–Srinagar highway is often disrupted due to heavy snowfall. The Vande Bharat trains are designed for extreme weather conditions, ensuring consistent connectivity.
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Following the flag-off, Vaishnaw will inspect key infrastructure projects on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link corridor, including the Anji Khad Bridge—India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge—and the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge.
The extension is being seen as a milestone in the region’s rail development, improving accessibility, boosting tourism, and supporting local economies. It is also part of a broader effort over the past decade to strengthen rail infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, including the completion of critical sections of the USBRL project and station redevelopment initiatives. With this development, passengers from across India arriving at Jammu Tawi will now have direct access to the Kashmir Valley via a single high-speed train, marking a new chapter in seamless rail travel in the region.
