Special Vande Bharat trains on Delhi-Udhampur route for 3 days amid flight cancellations

Jammu, Dec 09: The Jammu division of Northern Railways on Tuesday announced a special Vande Bharat train between New Delhi and Udhampur for three days starting December 12, to facilitate stranded passengers in the wake of frequent flight cancellations, an official said.

Chaos prevailed at Jammu and Srinagar airports over the past few days after most IndiGo flights from the two aerodromes were cancelled, triggering protests by stranded passengers.

"Jammu Division operates special trains in emergency situations for the convenience and safety of passengers. Currently, due to increasing number of passengers caused by frequent flight cancellations, the division has decided to operate a special Vande Bharat train between New Delhi and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur)," Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said.

The special trains -- 02439 New Delhi-Udhampur Vande Bharat, and 02440 Udhampur-New Delhi Vande Bharat -- with three trips in each direction between December 12 and 14, aims to provide a safe and affordable travel option for stranded passengers.

"This will ensure passengers reach their destinations on time and their travel plans are not disrupted,” Singhal added.

Train No 02439 will depart from New Delhi at 6:00 am and arrive at Udhampur at 2:00 pm, halting at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Pathankot Cantt and Jammu Tawi, among other stations.

Train No 02440 will depart from Udhampur at 3:00 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 11:00 pm.

Singhal said the special Vande Bharat will operate with 20 coaches. "Passengers are advised to check authentic train information through the official Indian Railways website or the NTES (National Train Enquiry System) app before commencing their journey," he added.