Direct railway link offers lifeline to Kashmir’s struggling tourism

As the two Vande Bharat Express trains on Saturday began their commercial operations from Katra to Srinagar meandering through the mighty Himalayas, besides passengers they also carried the rekindled hopes of Kashmir’s tourism sector that was bruised by the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed.

Advertisement

Tour operators and stakeholders in the tourism industry are viewing the launch of these trains, flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, as a potential turning point.

Tourism suffered a major blow after a group of armed terrorist killed 26 people, including 25 tourists, who had come to visit the Kashmir valley from various parts of the country.

Sajad Kralyari, secretary general of the Travel Agents Association of Kashmir (TAAK), said that new bookings came to an abrupt halt and over 80% of existing reservations were cancelled following the incident.

“The subsequent tensions between India and Pakistan led to the complete cancellation of bookings. Almost all hotels in Kashmir were sold out till mid-August, but the unrest severely dampened tourist confidence,” said Kralyari.

He expressed hope that the newly inaugurated rail link would help rebuild trust and attract visitors. “The direct train service, launched by the Prime Minister himself, sends a strong message of normalcy. We’ve already started receiving fresh inquiries and bookings,” he added.

Many tourists who earlier used to come to Jammu or Katra in trains and went further to Valley by road can now avail the service of the direct train that is being seen as a game-changer by the tourism industry. The world’s highest arch bridge on Chenab has also become an added attraction for the train passengers going to Valley.

Tour operators are also eyeing the more than one crore pilgrims who visit the Vaishno Devi shrine annually. With Katra serving as the base camp for the pilgrimage, even a small percentage of these pilgrims extending their visit to Kashmir could significantly boost the industry.

Nasir Shah, chairman of the J&K Chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, called the new rail service a “positive sign” for the region.

“The three-hour rail journey from Katra to Srinagar will make the Valley more accessible. Yatris visiting Vaishno Devi can now travel to Kashmir comfortably by train,” he said.

Frequent landslides and shooting stones, especially in the Ramban district, often led to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, delaying travel. While widening work on the highway is ongoing, the new rail link offers a safer and faster alternative, potentially transforming the travel landscape in the region.