No plans to start Vande Bharat trains between Srinagar and Jammu: Railway officials

Even as locals and those associated with the tourism sector await the launch of direct train services between Srinagar and Jammu, railway authorities have clarified that there are no plans at present to extend the operations of Vande Bharat trains beyond Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.

Currently, two Vande Bharat Express trains operate between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra — train numbers 26401 and 26403, along with their return services 26402 and 26404.

In recent days, reports had circulated suggesting that these services would soon be extended up to Jammu railway station. The speculation generated excitement among residents of both Srinagar and Jammu, as such a move would significantly reduce travel time and provide a more comfortable journey between the two cities.

However, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, dismissed the reports, stating that no such proposal is under consideration.

“It is reiterated that there is no plan as of now to extend Vande Bharat 26401/02 up to Jammu from February 23. No rumours should be spread in this regard. False emails and unsigned letters are also being circulated. Authentic information, as and when released, will be officially communicated,” Singhal said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated the railway line linking Katra with the Kashmir region in June 2025. The introduction of Vande Bharat trains on the route had rekindled hopes in the Kashmir Valley, particularly amid a decline in tourist inflow following the Pahalgam attack in April.

The idea of linking the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country through a railway network dates back more than a century. The foundation stone for the Jammu–Srinagar rail link was first laid by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1892 and later revisited during the reign of Maharaja Ranbir Singh in 1898.

Four possible routes were explored to connect Punjab with Srinagar and the Kashmir Valley — the Banihal route from Jammu; the Poonch route via the Jhelum Valley; the Panjar route from Rawalpindi, also via the Jhelum Valley; and the Abbottabad route from Kalako Serai through Hazara in the upper Jhelum Valley.

Detailed surveys were conducted for a mix of metre and broad gauge tracks. However, inhospitable weather conditions, difficult terrain, limited resources, and historical challenges confined the ambitious project to survey reports and drawing boards for decades.

Meanwhile, last year’s heavy rains triggered floods and landslides that damaged sections of railway tracks in the Jammu division. As a result, several trains from different parts of the country were cancelled, and many of these services have yet to be restored.