NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, shared a video of the Vande Bharat Express train for the upcoming Katra-Srinagar rail route, connecting Jammu to the Kashmir valley.
The 49-second video, shared on Vaishnaw’s X account, gives a glimpse of the features of the train which is specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu & Kashmir’s challenging winter conditions.
According to Railway officials, the train has several additional features as compared to the other 136 Vande Bharat Express trains currently running in different parts of the country so that it can meet the operational challenges and passengers’ amenities in extreme weather conditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
The train has advanced heating systems which prevent the freezing of water tanks and bio-toilet tanks, provide warm air for the vacuum system as well as laboratories and ensure the air-brake system functions optimally for smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures. Besides, climate-related features, it has all the other amenities that the existing Vande Bharat trains have like fully air-conditioned coaches, automatic plug doors, and mobile charging sockets.
Vande Bharat train for Jammu to Kashmir! 🚄 pic.twitter.com/qvwuWAfhLd
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 11, 2025
With the commencement of the final safety inspection, 111 Km long Banihal-Katra Section in the newly constructed, Jammu division, rail commuters can expect a world-class travel experience on this route from later this year as Jammu station is being redeveloped to equip it with 8 platforms and modern amenities.
Vaishnaw has announced that a long-cherished train service between Jammu and Kashmir Valley will start very soon. The long wait for train connectivity between Kashmir Valley and Jammu will be over. The completion of the Banihal-Katra section has been an engineering marvel in which 97 kilometres of length is the tunnel and 7 kilometres of distance is covered by four main bridges.
“The outstanding project to build a new railway route is a testament to engineering excellence and determination, overcoming significant geographical and climatic challenges”, he added.
Talking to the media about the project during the inspection of new coaches of Amrit Bharat train and other projects at Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai earlier, the minister said that this was a significant dream of the nation, a new railway line connecting Jammu and Kashmir, which involves immense complexity. Out of the 111-kilometre railway line, 97 kilometres consist of tunnels and 6 kilometres were bridges.
Vaishnaw further said that this is a highly complex project and the dream has now been fulfilled. The work has been completed and the CRS inspection has been done. Once the report is received, ‘we will start the train services”.
The minister informed that a new Vande Bharat train has also been designed specifically for this purpose. “Since temperatures can drop to minus 10 or minus 20 degrees, factors like electrical lines, electronics, and the train’s connection with the wheels are affected. Keeping these challenges in mind, the new Vande Bharat has been designed. All preparations have been completed and this dream of India will soon become a reality”, he said.
Notably, a satisfactory speed trial was conducted on the Katra-Banihal railway section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) during the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) inspection on January 8 and 9.
The Katra-Banihal section is a vital link in the USBRL project, bridging the gap between the Jammu region and the Kashmir Valley. Known for its complex topography and engineering marvels, the section features the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway bridge, along with several state-of-the-art tunnels and cutting-edge safety features. (ANI)(ANI)