The 26403/26404 Srinagar – SMVD Katra – Jammu Tawi Vande Bharat Express is India's 69th Vande Bharat Express train, which connects the summer capital city of

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

with the divine

Vaishno Devi Temple Vaishno Devi Temple, also known as the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Temple and Vaishno Devi Bhavan, is a Hindu temple located in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir, Katra, Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir, India. Dedi ...

in the Temple City of Katra in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. This express train was inaugurated on June 06 2025 by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...

from Katra in

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

Overview

This specially designed train is currently operated by

Indian Railways Indian Railways is a state-owned enterprise that is organised as a departmental undertaking of the Ministry of Railways (India), Ministry of Railways of the Government of India and operates India's national railway system. , it manages the fou ...

, connecting

Banihal Banihal is a town and a notified area committee, near Ramban town in Ramban district in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is a rural and hilly area with Kamirwah being one of the most prominent hills. It is located about ...

and SMVD Katra. This service currently runs along the recently finalized 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail corridor, a major initiative aimed at integrating the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

into the broader Indian rail system. Looking ahead, the route is slated for expansion to terminate at

Jammu Tawi Jammu Tawi railway station (station code: JAT) is a railway station in the city of Jammu in the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Background Jammu Tawi is the largest railway station in Jammu and Kashmir. It is a major railhead f ...

. This upgrade will further boost passenger accessibility to and from Jammu, with operations likely to start once the ongoing redevelopment of the Jammu Tawi station is concluded later this year.

Interesting Facts

* Traversing through remarkable feats of engineering, the special express train crosses the

Chenab Rail Bridge The Chenab Rail Bridge is a railway bridge over the Chenab River in Reasi district of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), Jammu and Kashmir. It is a steel and concrete bridge spanning across the river gorge. The ...

, famed as the world’s highest rail bridge, and pass through the Banihal Tunnel, both of which play a major role in improving the area’s rail connectivity. * This new rail service is poised to be a game-changer for the region, making visits to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra more accessible, attracting more tourists, and spurring economic activity throughout the

through better transportation links.

Rakes

It is the sixty-fourth and the second specially designed 2nd Generation Vande Bharat 2.0 Express train which was designed and manufactured by the

Integral Coach Factory Integral Coach Factory (ICF) is an Indian manufacturer of rolling stock, and electrical multiple units. Established in 1955, it is located in Perambur in Chennai and is the largest rail coach manufacturer in the world. It is owned and operated ...

Perambur Perambur is a neighbourhood located in the northern region of Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Etymology In Tamil language, Tamil, ''pirambu (பிரம்பு)'' means bamboo, and ''oor (ஊர்)'' means city or place. Before British Raj, B ...

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

under the

Make in India is an initiative by the Government of India to create and encourage companies to develop, manufacture and assemble products in India and incentivize dedicated investments into manufacturing. The policy approach was to create a conducive envi ...

Initiative. * To tackle extreme cold, this specially designed train is outfitted with advanced heating solutions tailored specifically for sub-zero weather environments. * Equipped with defrosting heaters embedded in the driver’s windshield, the train ensures unobstructed sightlines even in the harshest winter conditions.

Service

The 26404/26403 Srinagar – SMVD Katra Vande Bharat Express currently operates 6 days a week, covering a distance of in a travel time of a mere 03 hrs 05 mins with average speed of 61 km/h. The Maximum Permissible Speed (MPS) will be confirmed after commercial run.

References

{{Vande Bharat Express Vande Bharat Express trains Named passenger trains of India Higher-speed rail Express trains in India Electric multiple units of India Rail transport in Jammu and Kashmir Transport in Jammu and Kashmir Transport in Srinagar Transport in Katra, Jammu and Kashmir

Overview

Interesting Facts

Rakes

Service

See also

References