Indian Railways is set to enhance connectivity in Jammu & Kashmir by introducing two new train services in March 2025, including a centrally heated sleeper train and a Vande Bharat Express with advanced heating provisions.
A Central Railways spokesperson said that two special trains including a centrally heated sleeper have been allotted to Jammu and Kashmir and are expected to be chugged on tracks in March 2025.
“We have received the nod from the Railway Ministry and these trains are super-fast, state of art, and will transform the railway connectivity in the region,” he said.
Meanwhile special Vande Bharat Express has been also designed for Jammu and Srinagar. It will incorporate specialized heating systems to withstand the region’s harsh winters.
“These trains feature innovations like silicon heating pads for water tanks and specially designed pipes to prevent freezing and breakage,” he said.
The spokesman said that trials for these features are currently underway, and the train is expected to run on the USBRL project soon.
The Vande Bharat train for Jammu & Kashmir is being developed by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai, the world’s largest producer of passenger coaches.
“ICF is working on two key projects: a Vande Metro for inter-city travel and a customized Vande Bharat Express for Jammu & Kashmir. The latter includes modifications such as heated toilets and embedded heating elements in the loco pilots’ front glass to prevent frost formation in sub-zero temperatures,” the spokesperson added.
For the Katra-Baramulla route, an eight-coach Vande Bharat Express with chair car seating will debut, reducing the 246-kilometer journey to just three-and-a-half hours—far quicker than the current 10-hour bus journey.
On Dec 17, Northern Railways General Manager Ashok Kumar Verma said that all pending work on the USBRL project will be completed by January 2025, paving the way for the much-anticipated Vande Bharat train to operate between New Delhi and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters in Reasi, Verma expressed optimism about the completion timeline, emphasizing that the railway connectivity will significantly boost tourism in the Kashmir Valley and transform its overall development.
“The development will reach the grassroots level. From hotels to taxis, everything will change and create a new environment for growth. It will be a game-changer for the development of Kashmir,” he said.
Meanwhile much-awaited 17-kilometer Reasi-Katra rail link under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project is set for inauguration, with the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) scheduled to inspect the segment on January 05, next year, officials said.
