The Katra Srinagar Vande Bharat train service is set to launch on June 6, marking a significant milestone in connecting the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India by rail.
This development is expected to enhance tourism, facilitate easier pilgrimages, and promote economic growth in the region. The train will traverse the newly completed Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-kilometer project designed to integrate the Kashmir Valley with India’s railway network. The service is anticipated to reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar to just three hours, compared to the current six-hour journey by road.
The Vande Bharat Express has been specially designed to operate in the challenging winter conditions of Jammu and Kashmir. It includes features such as heating elements in the windshield to defrost the driver’s front lookout glass, heating pads to prevent freezing of water in pipes and tanks, and an ambient temperature control system in the driver’s cab. The train will pass through several engineering marvels, including the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge at a height of 359 meters above the riverbed, and the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at a height of 331 meters.
The USBRL project has been described as the most challenging post-independence railway project in India due to the difficult terrain of the young Himalayas. The project includes 36 tunnels and 927 bridges, with Tunnel T-50 being the longest transportation tunnel in India at 12.775 kilometers. The Katra Srinagar Vande Bharat train service is expected to boost tourism, facilitate easier pilgrimages to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra, and promote economic development in the Kashmir Valley by improving access and reducing travel time.
Also Read :Indian Railways Strengthens Sri Lanka’s Rail Infrastructure
