PM Modi will flag off Kashmir’s first Vande Bharat train from Katra on 19th April, completing the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link.
The Jammu-Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express will start from Katra as Jammu station is renovating.
Officials confirmed the rail link project was completed in February, with successful trial runs on the Katra-Baramulla route. 
The train will reduce travel time between Jammu and Srinagar, offering a modern and efficient service.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh stated that PM Modi will visit the world’s highest railway bridge before flagging off the train on 19th April.
The project began in 1997 and faced delays due to challenging terrain and weather conditions.
It includes 38 tunnels (the longest being 12.75 km) and 927 bridges, including the Chenab Bridge, which is taller than the Eiffel Tower and the highest arch railway bridge in the world.
Vande Bharat Express to reduce travel time to just 3 hours
The completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project will significantly reduce travel time between Katra and Srinagar. The new Vande Bharat Express will cut down the travel time from the current 6-7 hours by road to just 3 hours, said Upadhyay.
“The Vande Bharat Express train will cut the Katra-Srinagar journey to just 3 hours, compared to the current 6-7 hours by road. At present, train services run between Srinagar and Sangaldan in the valley. Once the railway line from Sangaldan to Katra becomes operational, these trains can be extended to Katra,” he said.
Upadhyay said that the USBRL project Qazigund-Baramulla section was started in the year 2009.
Timing of Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat: According to the railway authorities, the Vande Bharat Express train will leave from Katra at 8.10 am and arrive in Srinagar at 11.20 am and the train will leave Srinagar at 8.55 am and reach Katra at 12.05 pm.
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