Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat trains become huge hit among passengers
Jammu, Jun 13: Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat trains within a week of their inauguration have become a huge hit among the passengers, VIPs and the commoners alike.
As per Railway officials, their popularity is soaring high with each passing day and this is discernible from the overwhelming surge in their booking trends.
According to them, there is no seat available in both the Vande Bharat trains that operate from Katra to Srinagar till June 26. Tickets have been booked in advance up to the month of July as well. Further momentum is being anticipated with the upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra beginning July 3, 2025. Positive aspect is that they are attracting both local and outstation tourists alike. “We are noticing that there is great excitement among people to enjoy this iconic train service. There is no seat available in any of the trains for the next ten days or so.
In the wake of upcoming Shri Amarnath Yatra and given the ongoing trend, we have requested our authorities to either increase the operational frequency of these trains or provision of additional coaches is made to cope up this surge and facilitate Yatris,” Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station Superintendent Jugal Kishore Sharma told media persons.
He stated that even otherwise the overall response of passengers vis-à-vis this train service was very positive. “We are getting good feedback. People are happy with the services being offered in the trains equipped with state-of-the-art facilities. So far, we have not received any complaints. Even in future, if we confront any, we are there to rectify,” he asserts. Railway officials and those associated with tourism sector believe that given the overwhelming response, they are evoking among the people, both from J&K as well as outside, they are all set to become game-changers by providing the desired impetus to tourism economy of J&K, which nosedived after Pahalgam terrorist attack. Two iconic bridges are adding to the charm of this train service.
Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar and back were flagged off by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025 while dedicating Udhampur-Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) to the nation. “Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities,” PM had stated. Earlier this week, the National Conference chief and former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah too travelled on the new Srinagar-Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express.
He was accompanied by the advisor to the CM, Nasir Aslam Wani and the sons of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Zahir and Zamir Abdullah besides other NC leaders. Zahir and Zamir, while sharing their experience, conveyed their joy for the train ride and appreciated the services provided onboard. Former Chief Minister too had expressed his admiration for the train and also congratulated the Indian Railway for providing world-class services to the passengers, emphasising that this service would give a major boost to trade and tourism in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also congratulated the railways on providing world-class services to the passengers. He also emphasised that this initiative marked a significant advancement for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, promising a wave of positive developments and enhanced prosperity for the entire nation.
