Security Jawan stands a guard near the Vande Bharat train in Kashmir at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi station in Katra, Reasi District, Thursday, June 5, 2025. Photo Credit: PTI
Kashmir is set to the final railway connection with the rest of the country, because Prime Minister Narendra Modi will start the railway connection Srinagar – Jammu – Delhi 6 June at the end of Katra in the district of Udhampur in Katra. Vande Bharat Express between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar will start regular operations from 7 June, the officials said.
Prime Minister Modi said in a contribution to the X -Social Media platform: “Tomorrow is 6th June is a truly special day for my sisters and brothers Jamm and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth 46,000 CROR are inaugurated, which will have a very positive impact on people’s lives.”
Chenab Rail Bridge, considered as an engineering Marvel, will improve the connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar, he said. “Anji Bridge stands high as the first Indian cable railway bridge in the field, which is demanding,” he added.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Connection (USBL) project, which will now be fully functional, provides connection in any weather. “Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will strengthen spiritual tourism and create opportunities for livelihood,” the Prime Minister said.
The Chief Minister J&K Omar Abdullah also shared his expectations at X.
“I was waiting for this moment for the moment. This rail project started when I was in the 7th or 8th class. Now my children and my children started working after school and college. “Whenever the highway is blocked, airline companies will start selling 5,000 GBP tickets for 20,000 GBP. Such problems will be resolved now. Our gardening productions such as Cherry and Apple will be transported.”
The Minister of Railway Union Ashwini Vaishnaw explained that the direct railway between Srinagar and Delhi will begin in September as soon as platforms 5 and 6 are ready at the Jamma station. Meanwhile, after the inauguration of PM Modi since June 7, two pairs of Vande Bharat Express will start regular operations between Katra Srinagar.
After inauguration, two pairs of Vande Bharat Express – 26404/26403 and 26401/26402 will run on the route Srinagar – Katra – Srinagar in Banihal. The train 26404 will leave Srinagar at 8 am, stop at Banihal at 9:02 and reaches the Catra at 10:58 The service (26403) will leave Katra at 14:55, reaches Banihal at 16:40 and arrives at Srinagar at 5:53 pm.
The second service, 26401, will leave Katra at 8:10 in the morning, reaches Banihal at 9:58 and arrives at Srinagar at 11:08, while 26402 leaves Srinagar at 14:00, reaches Banihal at 15:10 and arrives at Katra at 16:58.
After the start of the train service, Mr. Modi is expected to visit the board of the Chenab bridge around 11:00, followed by a visit to the bridge Anji Khad.
Engineering miracles
The Chenab railway bridge, which stands 359 meters above the riverbed – 35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower – is considered the highest railway bridge in the world. The 1,315 meters long structure, designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 km/h, is built at the price of 1,486 Crore and has an expected life of 120 years.
Meanwhile, the Anji Khad bridge is the first Indian cable railway bridge. The towering 331 meters above the riverbed and 725 meters stretching, has 96 high draft cables and 193 meters inverted with Y -shaped pylon.
The USBL 272 km project, built at the price of 43 780 Crore, includes 36 tunnels spanning 119 km and 943 bridges that pass through the harsh Himalayan terrain.
The Central Reserve Police Police Staff was deployed for security across usbrl, especially on the Katra – Baramulla section and around the Chenab bridge. The army, the protective force on the railway and the government rail police are also involved in security measures.
This visit refers to PM Modi’s first J&K from April 22 Pahalgam’s terrorist attack and follows the recent four -day military distance with Pakistan.
Published – June 5, 2025 21:10
