Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat launch deferred; Railways cites ‘unavoidable’ delay

In a significant update, Indian Railways recently decided to extend the route of the Vande Bharat Express up to Jammu Tawi station with the aim to provide relief to passengers travelling between Srinagar and Jammu.

According to a report by The Indian Express this extension is set to reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu to less than five hours. While the operation of the Vande Bharat Express was initially expected to start on March 1.

It was later put on hold by officials citing “unavoidable reasons”. Currently, two Vande Bharat chair car services operate between Katra and Srinagar. The extension to Jammu Tawi remains the final logistical hurdle in linking the winter capital directly to the Kashmir Valley.

Infrastructure and Connectivity Gains

The delay comes despite the completion of critical technical upgrades at Jammu Tawi. According to Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northern Railway, yard-remodelling work essential for Vande Bharat operations is already in place.

Once operational, the service will significantly alter regional logistics. The upcoming train service is set to reduce the nearly 8-hour journey by road to 4 hours and 50 minutes. Once completed, the rail link is set to offer all-weather connectivity, bypassing the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway which is frequently shuttered by landslides and heavy snow.

Strategic Link: New Delhi to Kashmir

The extension of Vande Bharat services to Jammu station also paves the way for a direct train from New Delhi to Kashmir. 

The 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) became fully operational on June 6, 2025, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating its 63-km Katra-Sangaldan section, marking the completion of a project to link Kashmir to the rest of the country – which was first initiated 42 years ago.

The project, which took 42 years to complete, features several engineering milestones:

• Chenab Bridge: The world’s highest railway arch bridge (359 meters).
• Anji Bridge: India Railways’ first cable-stayed bridge.
• T-50 Tunnel: India’s longest operational transportation tunnel (12.77 km).

Proposed Schedule and Stops

The Vande Bharat service is designed to bridge major hubs in the UT:

The idea to connect Kashmir with a railway line between Jammu and Srinagar was first conceived by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1898. In 1905, he approved the construction of a narrow 762-mm gauge railway line via Reasi.