Srinagar, April 30: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off the first direct Vande Bharat Express from Jammu to Srinagar and promised to focus on connecting remote areas like Poonch, Rajouri and Uri to the country’s rail network.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh, were among those present at the flagging off ceremony.
The direct train services between Srinagar and Jammu will reduce travel time between the twin capitals of Jammu and Kashmir, and boost tourism, besides providing an all-weather surface transport link.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first direct train service between Katra and Srinagar on June 6, 2025. This service has now been extended up to the Jammu Tawi Railway Station.
The work on the Rs 43,780-crore rail project, linking Kashmir to the rest of the country, began in the late 1990s, with the first train operating in the Kashmir Valley in October 2008.
Talking to reporters after the flagging off ceremony, Vaishnaw said the government will focus on connecting the Poonch-Rajouri region with the rail network of the country, besides working on a rail link to Uri.
“We will now focus on connecting Poonch and Rajouri with rail connectivity. We will also take up a project to connect Uri with the train,” the minister said after the flagging off ceremony.
“The DPRs for these projects have been made, and we will try to get work started soon,” he added.
On the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, the railway minister called it a major landmark achievement, which has become the lifeline of Jammu and Kashmir.
“This train service is a major landmark for people of Jammu and Kashmir. The prime minister inaugurated this train service between Katra and Kashmir last year. This train is very popular with 100 per cent occupancy and has become a lifeline for Jammu and Kashmir,” Vaishnaw said.
He said there was a huge demand for increasing the passenger-carrying capacity of the train.
“The eight coaches ran at 100 per cent occupancy, and there was demand to increase the capacity. Now, it has been made into a 20-coach train,” he said, and noted that the train service benefited the people of Kashmir as it has been used for ferrying goods like cement, cars and bikes.
“I have been told that the prices of cement have dropped by Rs 50 (per bag). Around 2 crore kg (20,000 tons) of apples and other fruits have been transported through trains to other parts of the country,” he said.
Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat Express between Jammu and Srinagar can operate in all weather conditions.
“We can run this train in minus 10 degrees Celsius. You saw there was one foot of snow last winter, but the trains still operated. The design of this train incorporates all facilities and advanced features for passenger comfort, making it an all-weather train,” he said.
The minister said this is the first time that a train is being operated at such a high altitude. “This train will facilitate the easy movement of fruits, goods and all other items.”