Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Passengers can travel on Vande Bharat trains from Jammu Tawi station to Srinagar from next month, with railways launching the inaugural run between the two capitals of Jammu & Kashmir on April 30. At present, Vande Bharat trains for Srinagar start from Katra station. To cater to growing passenger demand, railways will operate on the route two pairs of Vande Bharat trains with 20 coaches each. The currently operational two pairs are eight-coach trains. Commercial run of trains from Jammu to Srinagar will start within a couple of days of the inaugural run, officials said. With this extension, passengers can complete the journey between Jammu and Srinagar in less than five hours, which is much less than the time it takes by road. “This extension will put an end to the hassle that passengers heading to Srinagar by rail faced so far. In most cases, people coming from other parts of the country travelled to Katra station after reaching Jammu Tawi to catch a train to Srinagar. Now they will be able to change trains at Jammu Tawi junction itself,” an official said. Officials said the train has been designed to cater to the challenging terrain and extreme cold conditions in the region. The trains will make use of winterisation technology to ensure smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures.
