Ahead of this year’s annual Shri Amarnath Yatra, the Union Government has decided to introduce a direct train service between Jammu and Srinagar to facilitate the smooth conduct of the pilgrimage, especially in case of adverse weather conditions.
Reports said that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, along with Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, will flag off the Vande Bharat Express to the Kashmir Valley from Jammu Railway Station on April 30 this year.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Baba Amarnath will commence on July 3. The 57-day-long Yatra will conclude on the auspicious occasion of Raksha Bandhan on August 28.
The Pratham Puja, performed to invoke the blessings of Lord Shiva, will be held on Jyeshtha Purnima on June 29.
The introduction of a direct train service between Jammu and Srinagar is expected to be a major relief for devotees during the Yatra, as the pilgrimage often gets suspended during inclement weather due to the disruption of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
At present, two Vande Bharat Express trains operate between the holy town of Katra and Srinagar. These services will now be extended to Jammu, with revised timings to be notified by the Railways.
In addition to the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat services, two similar trains are already running between New Delhi and Katra.
Earlier launch of direct Srinagar–Jammu train put on hold
The scheduled launch of the Vande Bharat Express between Srinagar and Jammu on March 1 was earlier put on hold due to “unavoidable circumstances”, according to Indian Railway officials.
“Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the inauguration programme of the Vande Bharat extension scheduled for March 1 has been put on hold by the Railway Board until further advice,” a senior railway officer had said hours before the planned launch.
Northern Railway had earlier announced the launch of the much-awaited train service connecting Srinagar with Jammu on March 1. The extension of rail services from Srinagar-Katra to Jammu has long been demanded to connect the two capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir and to provide seamless rail connectivity for the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
The Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat train service was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June last year. This historic train service was a step towards connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country via rail.
The Vande Bharat service was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025, after inaugurating the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project, providing all-weather rail connectivity to the Valley.
Since its launch, the train has received a good response, carrying nearly 5 lakh passengers in the first seven months. The Jammu Railway Division has also significantly expanded freight and logistics operations last year.
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