Indian Railways has made an important announcement regarding a long-awaited Delhi-Kashmir rail connectivity. In this new rail service starting from January 2025, passengers will not get the facility of direct travel from Delhi to Kashmir. Instead, all passengers will have to change their train at Katra station and continue their journey by riding in another train.
This decision has been taken due to security reasons. According to railway officials, passengers and their belongings will be re -examined at Katra station. This system may cause some inconvenience in the journey, but this will ensure security. Let’s know in detail about this new rail service.
Delhi-Kashmir Rail Service: At a glance
| Description | Acquaintance |
| Date of starting | January 2025 |
| Root | Delhi – Katra – Srinagar |
| total distance | About 800 km |
| Travel time | Less than 13 hours |
| Train changing place | Katra station |
| Major stops | Ambala Cant, Ludhiana, Kathua, Jammu Tawi, Katra, Sangaldan, Banihal |
| Type of train | Vande Bharat Sleeper and Mail/Express |
The main features of the new rail service
Vande Bharat Sleeper Train
- Vande India Sleeper Train will run from Delhi to Katra
- Will leave from Delhi at 7 pm
- The next day will reach Katra by 8 am
- AC First Class, AC 2-Tier and AC 3-Tier will be coaches
- Coaches will be equipped with a heating system
Service from Katra to Srinagar
- Three trains will run from Katra to Srinagar:
- Vande Bharat Express (8 coaches)
- Two mail/express trains
- Vande Bharat Express Time:
- Katra to Srinagar: 8:10 am – 11:20 am
- Srinagar to Katra: 12:45 pm – 3:55 pm
- Mail/Express trains time:
- Katra to Srinagar: 9:50 am – 1:10 pm
- Katra to Srinagar: 3:00 pm – 6:20 pm
Important information for travellers
Train changing process at Katra station
- Get off at Katra station from a train coming from Delhi
- Get out of the station
- Enter again for safety check
- Get the goods scanned again
- Ride in a train going from platform number 1 to Srinagar
Ticket prices (estimated)
- AC 3-Tier (3A): ₹ 2,000
- AC 2-Tier (2A): 3 2,500
- AC First Class (1A): ₹ 3,000
Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) Project
- Total Length: 272 km
- Start: Approval in 1995
- Estimated cost: more than ₹ 35,000 crore
- Properties:
- 38 tunnels (total 119 km)
- 927 bridge
- Chenab Bridge: World’s highest railway bridge
Project progression
- 2009: Baramulla-Kulgam Khand Complete (118 km)
- 2013: Kulgam-Banihal section completed
- 2014: Udhampur-Katra section starts
- 2024: Banihal-Sangdan section begins
- 2025 (estimated): Complete project on
Benefits and challenges of new rail service
Benefit
- Better connectivity: Kashmir Valley direct rail connectivity with rest of the country
- Promotion of tourism: Easy journey increases the number of tourists
- Economic Development: New Business and Employment Opportunities
- Social integration: Improvement in relations between Kashmir and other parts of the country
- Military Logistics: fast and safe transport for army
Challenges
- Security concerns: threat to terrorist activities
- Hard geography: maintenance of railway track in mountainous territory
- Weather challenges: Heavy snowfall and flood threat in winter
- Cost: High cost and operational expenses of project
- Passengers inconvenience: Travel delay due to changing train in Katra
Local reactions and disputes
After the announcement of the new rail service, mixed reactions have been seen in Kashmir:
- Criticism of political leaders: Many leaders have expressed displeasure over the system of changing the train in Katra.
- Concern of traders: There is a possibility of impacting tourism and business due to lack of direct trains.
- Disappointment of the general public: People hoped that direct train service would be available.
- Safety experts support: Some experts have supported this decision for security reasons.
future plans
The Railway Ministry has said that the possibilities of starting direct train service in future will be considered. For this:
- Security system will be further strengthened
- New techniques will be used
- The convenience of passengers will be taken into consideration
Rejuvenation
This article has been prepared on the basis of publicly available information. Although the Ministry of Railways has announced this service, it may change from time to time according to the circumstances. Be sure to get the latest information from authorized sources before the journey.
