by Syed Shadab Ali Gillani
SRINAGAR: The long-awaited train service between New Delhi and Srinagar is set to launch, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to inaugurate it on 26 January. However, the decision to route all trains through Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) railway station in Katra, Jammu, requiring passengers to change trains, has sparked controversy.
Railway officials have confirmed that passengers will need to switch trains at Katra, citing security concerns as the primary reason. Travellers heading to or from Srinagar will have to disembark at Katra, exit the station, rescan their luggage, and board another train from platform one to continue their journey. This rule applies to both Srinagar-bound trains and those returning to New Delhi.
“The same train will not continue further. Passengers will have to wait for the next train to complete their journey,” a railway official said, according to media reports.
The Northern Railway has issued a timetable for the services, which include one Vande Bharat Express and two Mail Express trains running daily between SMVD Katra and Srinagar.
The Vande Bharat Express will depart Katra at 8.10am and arrive in Srinagar at 11.20am, while the first Mail Express will leave at 9.50am and reach its destination by 1.10pm. A second Mail Express will depart at 3pm and arrive at 6.20pm.
For return journeys, the first Mail Express will leave Srinagar at 8.45am and reach Katra by 12.05pm. The Vande Bharat Express will depart at 12.45pm and arrive at 3.55pm, while the second Mail Express will leave at 3.05pm and reach Katra by 6.30pm.
While the timetable has been welcomed as a significant step forward, no official details have been provided about onward connections from Katra to other destinations, leaving passengers and stakeholders questioning the decision.
The requirement to change trains at Katra has drawn sharp criticism from various quarters, with passengers, political parties, and business stakeholders calling the arrangement inconvenient and counterproductive.
The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) criticised the move, calling it an “unnecessary burden” on travellers. PDP general secretary Mohammad Khurshid Alam said: “For years, we were told that train services to Kashmir would ease travel for the common masses. This directive proves that Kashmiris are far from experiencing real travel convenience.”
Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, president of the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party, expressed concern over the additional security checks and the requirement for passengers to re-enter the station. “This arrangement is troubling and humiliating. It complicates what was meant to simplify travel,” he said.
The Kashmir Valley Fruit Growers Cum Dealers Union has also raised concerns about the impact on the region’s horticulture sector, a vital part of Jammu and Kashmir’s economy. The union said the current system fails to address logistical challenges, potentially harming the industry, which relies heavily on smooth transportation for timely deliveries.
The decision to route the Srinagar-New Delhi train via Katra, bypassing the more direct Jammu Tawi station, has sparked debate about its impact on regional connectivity and the economy. While officials have justified the transhipment plan on security grounds, critics argue that it undermines the purpose of the new service, which was expected to simplify and boost travel and trade in the region.
