Qazigund, Apr 15 (BANN): The much-anticipated visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Jammu and Kashmir on April 19 for the inauguration of the Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar has been postponed, as per official sources.
Speaking to BANN News, officials said the PM was expected to inaugurate the train service on a portion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-kilometre mega rail project. However, the plan has been temporarily shelved.
Prior to the postponement, preparations were in full swing, including trial runs and mock drills on the designated route.
Chief Area Manager (CAM) Kashmir, Saqib Yousuf Yatoo (IRTS), confirmed to BANN News that the visit has been delayed and that a revised date has not yet been decided.
The Vande Bharat train—tailored for cold weather operations in the Kashmir Valley—is currently stationed at Katra. It features eight fully air-conditioned coaches equipped with cab heating, high-efficiency HVAC systems, LED lighting, infotainment screens, CCTV, sealed gangways, mobile charging points, automatic doors, and advanced braking systems.
Despite being capable of reaching speeds up to 160 km/h, the train will run at a regulated speed of 85 km/h between Katra and Srinagar, as approved by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS). The new service will cut down travel time between the two cities to just three hours, compared to the existing six to seven hours by road.
The USBRL project includes 119 km of tunnels and connects major districts like Udhampur, Reasi, Ramban, Anantnag, Pulwama, Budgam, Srinagar, and Baramulla. Two of the project’s highlights are the engineering marvels—Chenab Bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world, and the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge.
The Chenab Bridge stands 467 meters tall—35 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower—and was built using approximately 29,000 tonnes of steel. It has been engineered to endure earthquakes of up to magnitude 8 due to the region’s seismic sensitivity.
First sanctioned in 1994–95 and declared a National Project in 2002, the USBRL has been developed in phases. Important segments like Qazigund–Baramulla (2009), Banihal–Qazigund (2013), Udhampur–Katra (2014), and Banihal–Sangaldan (2020) have already been opened. A successful trial of MEMU trains was also held last year on the electrified Reasi–Sangaldan stretch.
At present, only the Sangaldan–Baramulla rail section is functional in the Valley, with long-distance trains terminating at Katra.
