Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat: How India’s Highest Rail Bridges Will Transform Tourism, Trade and Everyday Life in Jammu & Kashmir

6 June 2025 | Taaza Wire Desk

A Dream on Rails Becomes Reality

After decades of tunnelling through the Pir Panjal, spanning Himalayan gorges, and testing steel against some of the world’s fiercest winds, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) is ready for its last, most spectacular chapter. Today Prime Minister Narendra Modi will:

1. Dedicate the Chenab Bridge—35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower and the planet’s highest railway arch;
2. Inaugurate India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge across Anji Khad; and
3. Flag off the Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, finally knitting the Kashmir Valley into India’s high-speed rail map.

With a single whistle, Jammu’s pilgrimage hub of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra will join Srinagar in a swift, three-hour dash—ending the region’s long wait for seamless, all-weather rail travel.

Chenab Bridge India’s Sky Highway!

Behold the Chenab Bridge — the world’s highest railway bridge.

359m above the river, Taller than the Eiffel Tower, Crane tower is larger than Qutub Minar.

Part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link — connecting Katra to Banihal,… pic.twitter.com/ziJ0VzFBdN

— MyGovIndia (@mygovindia) June 4, 2025

Why the Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat Matters

Impact Area	Immediate Benefit	Long-Term Upside
Spiritual Tourism	Pilgrims can land in Jammu and reach Katra, Vaishno Devi temple and Srinagar’s Sufi shrines in one itinerary.	Higher tourist footfalls, new homestays and service jobs in both regions.
Economy & Trade	Refrigerated wagons allow cherries, saffron and handicrafts to reach metros overnight.	Five freight terminals (Baramulla-Jammu stretch) will spur agro-parks and cold-chain hubs.
Connectivity	USBRL ends highway closures caused by snowfall or landslides.	Year-round movement for students, medical travellers and Armed Forces logistics.
National Integration	A three-hour journey shrinks psychological distance between the Valley and the rest of India.	Greater cultural exchanges, conferences and pan-India sporting events in Srinagar.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw calls the project “a symbol of India’s engineering prowess and political resolve”—a statement that resonates from Delhi boardrooms to village chai stalls.

Engineering Marvels: Chenab and Anji

1. Chenab Bridge
   • Height: 359 m above the riverbed—enduring winds of 260 km/h and Zone-V earthquakes.
   • Steel Used: 30,000 tonnes, equal to four Eiffel Towers.
   • Lifespan: 120 years with automated health-monitoring sensors.
2. Anji Cable-Stayed Bridge
   • India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge; pylons anchor half-kilometre-long decks across a seismic valley.
   • Illuminated stay-cables will become a nightly landmark visible from kilometres away.
3. Himalayan Tunnelling Method
   • Of the 272-km USBRL, 119 km runs through 36 tunnels, the longest piercing 12.75 km of fractured shale and quartzite.
4. Katra-Banihal Section
   • 97 km of tunnels, 18 major bridges—completed after 2014 under an accelerated push cited by Vaishnaw as “political will in action.”

The Vande Bharat Schedule, Fares and Comforts

Service	Departs	Arrives	Fare (CC)	Fare (EC)	Non-operational Day
Vande Bharat I	Katra 8:10 AM	Srinagar 11:08 AM	₹715	₹1,320	Tuesday
Return	Srinagar 2:00 PM	Katra 4:58 PM	₹715	₹1,320	Tuesday
Vande Bharat II	Katra 2:55 PM	Srinagar 5:53 PM	₹715	₹1,320	Wednesday
Return	Srinagar 8:00 AM*	Katra 10:58 AM*	₹715	₹1,320	Wednesday

*Operates next morning.

Key onboard features: Altitude-tuned braking, Wi-Fi infotainment, panoramic sealed windows, indigenous ‘Kavach’ collision-avoidance tech, GPS-synced seat-map display.

From September 2025 (once redevelopment at Jammu Tawi station is complete), both Vande Bharat sets will originate directly from Jammu, enabling seamless switchovers for travellers arriving by overnight express trains.

Security & Logistics for a Landmark Day

This is Modi’s first visit to J&K since Operation Sindoor—India’s precision strikes post-Pahalgam terror attack (April 22). Naturally, a three-layer security blanket is in place:

• Air surveillance: Drones and anti-drone jammers over Katra.
• Border grid: Extra pickets along the LoC and IB to pre-empt infiltration.
• Ground checks: Drone-mounted face-recognition cameras at Katra Stadium rally; frisking queues managed by CAPF and J&K Police.

Director-General of Police RR Swain notes a “zero-tolerance” directive: every Over-Ground Worker (OGW) network is under watch; random house searches in Reasi and Banihal have been intensified.

Voices from the Region

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi (via X): “The Vande Bharat from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities.”
• Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha: “USBRL’s dedication is a historic leap. J&K is stronger and more prosperous than ever.”
• Local apple trader, Ghulam Nabi Dar (Shopian): “Today our fruit can reach Delhi Mandis by dawn. That means fewer cold-storage costs and better prices.”
• Vaishno Devi pilgrim Suman Sharma (Rajasthan): “We can now add Srinagar’s Tulip Garden to our itinerary without an extra flight—so much value in one ticket!”

Economic Ripple Effect

1. Tourism Growth: IRCTC expects 30% surge in Vaishno Devi pilgrim throughput within a year. Hoteliers in Katra and Pahalgam are already expanding room inventory.
2. Freight Mini-Terminals: Five planned sidings will allow local artisans to export carpets and papier-mâché to Mumbai and Chennai in 48 hours.
3. Employment: Construction phase employed 10,000 workers; operations will need 2,500 staff for signalling, hospitality, and maintenance.
4. Real Estate: Property values along the Katra-Banihal corridor have risen by up to 25% since December 2024 completion announcement.

Road Ahead: Challenges and Opportunities

Challenge	Mitigation
Snow drifts in Qazigund-Banihal	Automatic heating in track beds; avalanche galleries engineered using Swiss tech.
Wildlife Corridors	Silent hours: trains slow at night through eco-sensitive Salal forests.
Cyber-Security	RailTel installing quantum-safe firewalls for signalling network.

Long-term, the line could extend to Kupwara and even Leh via a proposed 13-km tunnel beneath Zoji-La, turning the Vande Bharat into a gateway for Ladakh.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link and the #ChenabBridge, the world's highest railway arch bridge and India's first cable-stayed rail bridge, to be inaugurated by PM today. @RailMinIndia @AshwiniVaishnaw @MIB_India @PIBSrinagar pic.twitter.com/dCpXe4RJTQ

— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) June 6, 2025

Conclusion: More Than Just a Train

When the Katra to Srinagar Vande Bharat cuts through the arch of the Chenab this morning, it will be carrying not only commuters but also decades of dreams: Kashmiri students pursuing careers, Vaishno Devi pilgrims seeking spiritual comfort, and engineers justifies by their Himalayan wonder.
It is one of hill and head, iron and soul — testimony that India’s biggest infrastructure aspirations can travel on railway tracks, over the highest bridges to the heart of the Valley.
When Prime Minister Modi raises the green flag, a whistle will ring off the Pir Panjal — and with it, an assurance: henceforth, Kashmir is only a train journey away.

Stay with Taaza Wire for in-depth coverage, traveler guides, and on-ground videos from this historic rail journey.

Read More

Shashi Tharoor US Visit: Leads India’s Voice Against Terror in the US Amid Party Criticism
World Environment Day 2025: PM Modi’s Call to Action, Maharashtra’s Green Push, and Acharya Prashant’s Big Honor
PM Modi to Inaugurate World’s Highest Railway Arch: Chenab Bridge, Flag Off Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Train