SRINAGAR: The maximum permissible speed for trains on the 111-km Katra-Banihal section has been raised from 75 kmph to 100 kmph, enabling the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express to cross the Chenab and Anji railway bridges at the higher speed for the first time, officials said.
The speed trial was conducted on October 2 using train numbers 26401/26404, following the Railway Board’s approval of the revised speed limit.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced the development on X, describing it as a significant day for the railway network in Jammu and Kashmir.
The trial included the Chenab Rail Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, which rises 359 metres above the riverbed and spans 1,315 metres across the Chenab river. Officials said the steel arch structure is designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 260 kmph and has a projected lifespan of 120 years.
The Vande Bharat also crossed the Anji Bridge at 100 kmph. The bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, spans the deep Anji river valley on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) route and connects the Katra-Banihal section.
Located about 80 km from Jammu city, the Anji Bridge stands 331 metres above the riverbed and extends 725 metres across the valley. It is supported by 96 high-tensile cables and has an inverted Y-shaped pylon rising 193 metres above its foundation. According to officials, 653 km of cable strands were used in its construction.
The increase in the permissible speed is expected to improve train operations along the Katra-Banihal section and reduce journey times. The section forms a key link in the USBRL project connecting the Jammu region with the Kashmir Valley.
Two pairs of Vande Bharat services currently operate along the 266-km corridor. The trains were initially introduced with eight coaches, while 16 additional coaches were added earlier this year in response to passenger demand, taking the total to 20 coaches.
The Vande Bharat trains operating in the Kashmir Valley were developed by Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory and can function in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, officials said.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways V Somanna visited Katra on Thursday and inspected the Anji Khad and Chenab Rail bridges. He said Jammu and Kashmir was witnessing rapid development under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
