Vande Bharat extension to Jammu Tawi unveiled

Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off a 20-coach Vande Bharat Express between Jammu and Srinagar, offering all-weather connectivity, boosting tourism and economy, and marking a milestone in the long-awaited rail link to Kashmir after decades of engineering challenges

 Jammu: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off the direct 20-coach Vande Bharat Express train service between Jammu and Srinagar. The direct train service from Jammu to Srinagar will be available to the public from May 2. J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh, were present during the flag-off ceremony.

The direct train service from Jammu to Srinagar will give a boost to tourism, reduce travel time between the twin capitals, in addition to providing an all-weather alternative to the Jammu-Srinagar national highway that frequently gets closed due to shooting stones, landslides, etc., especially during bad weather.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the train service between Katra town in Jammu division and Srinagar on June 6, 2025. The same service has now been extended to Jammu Tawi Railway Station.

The rail link to the Valley remained an unfulfilled dream for over 70 years. The Rs 43,780 crore project to link the Valley with the rest of the country was started in the late 1990s. It was a great challenge for engineers and other workers of the railways, as this link is regarded as one of the most difficult railway projects in the world.

A train service within the Valley was started in October 2008, while the train reached Udhampur town in the Jammu division in 2005. The laying of the rail link across the Pir Panjal mountains has been the toughest project ever undertaken and completed by the Indian Railways.

The modern 20-coach Vande Bharat train commenced its maiden journey from Jammu Tawi on Thursday, traversing the route up to Srinagar while connecting the challenging geographical terrains of the Valley.

A train from Srinagar has also started moving towards Jammu simultaneously today, officials said. Before the commencement of the Jammu-Srinagar service, a trial run of the Vande Bharat was conducted on Tuesday from Jammu to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway stations, officials said.

The inaugural Vande Bharat train, equipped with state-of-the-art amenities and comprising 20 coaches, will cover a total distance of 267 kilometres. The Jammu-Srinagar train service — scheduled to start on May 2 — will operate six days a week. There will be no train service on this route on Tuesdays.

“Constructed using indigenous technology, this Vande Bharat Express will offer passengers a world-class travel experience, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said.

It features amenities such as the Kavach safety system for passenger security, a GPS-based information system, and comfortable rotating seats. This service will not only reduce travel time, but also provide a massive boost to the local economy and tourism, he added.

The extension of the Vande Bharat to Jammu Tawi is the latest milestone in a decade-long effort to transform railway connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. The Udhampur-Katra section was commissioned in 2014.

The Kashmir Valley saw its first electric train in February 2024, while a dedicated Jammu Railway Division was created in January 2025.

Stations at Jammu Tawi, Katra, Udhampur, and Budgam are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, built at a total cost of Rs 43,780 crore with 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges, is the connective tissue that makes all of this possible.

Although the Jammu-Srinagar national highway will continue to be the major connecting link between the Valley and the rest of the country, shortages of essential supplies, ferrying students, businessmen and carrying fruit produce out of the Valley in periods of highway breakdown will now be taken care of by the passenger and cargo train services.