In a dramatic development, the Railway Board put on hold the proposed extension of the Vande Bharat Express from Srinagar to Jammu—just hours after Northern Railways had announced that the service would commence from March 1.
Confirming the decision, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said, “Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the notification programme for the extension of Vande Bharat from March 1 has been put on hold by the Railway Board till further advice.” He added that additional details would be shared as and when received and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
Sources said the decision to delay the extension of the Vande Bharat train from Srinagar to Jammu was taken due to security concerns. “Security agencies have received inputs that terror groups may attempt to sabotage the operation of the direct Vande Bharat train between Srinagar and Jammu,” sources said, adding that it was only after these inputs that authorities withdrew the notification announcing the direct service between the twin capital cities of the Union Territory.
Earlier on Tuesday evening, Northern Railways had officially declared that the Vande Bharat Express would be extended from Katra to Jammu Tawi, paving the way for direct rail connectivity between the two capitals of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is notified for the information of all concerned that the Vande Bharat Express will be extended up to Jammu Tawi from March 1,” Singhal had said in the initial communication issued earlier in the day.
On Tuesday, Northern Railways described the move as the next important milestone in directly connecting Srinagar with Jammu. To ensure seamless connectivity and improve accessibility, the Railways had also announced an increase in the number of coaches from the existing eight to 20 on the Katra–Srinagar route.
The Katra–Srinagar railway service has become a preferred mode of transport in Jammu and Kashmir. However, due to the limited number of coaches and frequency of trains, the service has struggled to cope with the growing number of passengers.
The announcement of direct train service between Srinagar and Jammu was widely hailed as a historic step, even as a direct rail link between Kashmir and the rest of the country remains incomplete. At present, regular rail services operate only up to Katra, requiring passengers travelling to or from Srinagar to undergo transshipment at the station.
The sudden reversal has left passengers, tourism stakeholders, and local residents surprised and awaiting clarity from railway authorities regarding the reasons behind the deferment and a revised launch timeline.
The premium train service was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6 following the inauguration of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link project, which established all-weather rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.
Currently, the Vande Bharat Express operates between Srinagar and Katra with an eight-coach rake. Railway officials had earlier indicated that the extended Jammu–Srinagar service would run with an upgraded 20-coach configuration to meet rising passenger demand.
With the extension now put on hold, no fresh timeline has been announced, leaving the much-anticipated direct rail link between Jammu and Srinagar in uncertainty.
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