Chenab Bridge Update: PM Modi Flags Off Katra–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express | Historic Rail Launch in J&K

Katra Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the first Vande Bharat Express service between Katra and Srinagar from the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station. This is a big step forward for the state's rail network. With the new service, which starts on June 7, 2025, the trip from Srinagar, the summer capital, to Katra, the holy village, will take much less than three hours. 

This event marks the end of the ₹43,780 crore Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project. The project spans 272 km and has 36 tunnels and 943 bridges that wind through the Himalayas.

The Anji Khad Bridge, which is India's first cable-stayed rail structure, and the historic Chenab Railway Bridge, which is the highest railway arch in the world at 359 meters above the river, make this corridor a world-leader in engineering and durability.

Created to Fit the Climate of Kashmir

The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat is built to withstand the harsh Himalayan climate. It has heated windshields, insulated bathrooms, and strong vacuum heating systems.

A Strategic Integration

Prime Minister Modi formally opened two Vande Bharat train sets that run six days a week and connect Katra and Srinagar, with Banihal playing a key role as a hub in the middle. Thanks to this route improvement, pilgrims can now get to the holy Mata Vaishno Devi shrine quickly and easily.

Opening the Path for Development

The smooth, all-weather rail link should help trade, tourism, and the coming together of different parts of the region. Local politicians and business leaders, such as Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, CM Omar Abdullah, and LG Manoj Sinha, have said they hope that environmentally friendly transportation options will open up new ways for people from different cultures and backgrounds to interact and do business.

Vande Bharat services will begin regularly tomorrow. This will completely change the way people get around in the area by cutting travel times by two to three hours and making sure that everyone can get to the Kashmir Valley all year.