Vande Bharat crosses Chenab and Anji bridges at 100 kmph as speed of Katra-Banihal train increased

View of Vande Bharat train passing over Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable railway bridge at Reasi. File | Photo credit: ANI

The Vande Bharat Express crossed the world’s highest railway bridge over river Chenab and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji at a speed of 100 kmph as the maximum speed limit on the 111 km long Katra-Banihal broad gauge railway section was increased to 100 kmph, officials said.

The speed increase on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section under Northern Railway’s Jammu division was successfully test-fired on Thursday (October 1, 2026), marking a major operational milestone for the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

“The maximum speed limit on the 111 km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal stretch has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph,” said senior divisional business manager Uchit Singhal.

He said the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) has created a new record by crossing both the world’s highest Chenab Bridge and India’s first Anji cable-stayed bridge at a speed of 100 kmph.

The 111-km long Katra-Banihal section is a crucial and technically demanding part of the USBRL project, which aims to provide seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.

The Ministry of Railways approved the increase in the maximum speed limit to 100 kmph after the railways fulfilled all the prescribed safety conditions in August this year, officials said.

Earlier, trains were allowed to run at a maximum speed of 85 kmph on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal section.

The increase in speed limit is expected to ensure smoother operation of trains in the USBRL project, reduce travel time and ensure faster, safer and more comfortable travel for passengers.

The upgrade is also expected to reduce the travel time between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal, ensuring faster and more convenient rail connectivity in the region.

The Katra-Banihal section passes through some of the most difficult and rugged terrain of the Pir Panjal and lower Himalayas, comprising deep valleys, steep mountain slopes, large rivers and very complex geological formations.

Construction of the line therefore required extensive use of advanced engineering techniques, including long tunnels, high-level bridges and sophisticated rail infrastructure, officials said.

The stretch has some of the most prestigious and challenging engineering structures in the country, including the Chenab Railway Bridge, the world’s tallest railway bridge, built over the Chenab River near Reasi, and the Anji Khad Railway Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.

The section also has 33 tunnels.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express on 6 June 2025 from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.

Published – 3 Oct 2026 07:07 IST