The Indian Railways is ready with five trains linking Delhi and Kashmir. Equipped with heating facilities within the coaches, these AC sleeper trains will pass through snow covered regions, The Indian Express reported. Due to heightened security concerns in Jammu and Kashmir, additional security checks will be implemented for these services.
A senior official linked with the project said that the manufacturing of the five rakes have been completed and that the trains are ready for operation. “It may be launched in the first month of the next year, not all five at the same time. It will have 22-coaches each. As of now, there is no plan to run Vande Bharat Sleeper train from Delhi. However, an eight coach Vande Bharat train, with chair car seating, will run on Katra to Baramulla stretch (around 250 km) of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project (USBRL),” they added.
The official added that the coach wheels and the engine’s front glass are designed to prevent snow buildup. Furthermore, onboard heating systems will facilitate the defrosting of any accumulated snow in sub-zero temperatures.
The official added that a special emphasis was placed on the train’s security. The coaches will be sanitised before it departs from the platform on either side. “The passengers for Srinagar will go through a special security check, similar to the security check at the airport. There will be more Railways Protection Force (RPF) personnel in comparison to normal route trains. The security concerns cannot be ignored,” they added.
The operation of the trains, however, depends on approval from the Commission of Railway Safety (CRS). The 17-km Katra to Reasi section of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is still under development, and the CRS has yet to conduct its inspection of the site.
“The CRS inspection of the stretch is expected by the first week of January…The work has been completed and the trial run of tower wagons on the cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji Khad (connecting the Katra and Reasi sections) is ongoing,” the official said.