SRINAGAR: Just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the landmark railway link connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of India, both Vande Bharat trains on the Katra–Srinagar route left for the Valley jam-packed on Saturday, underscoring the massive public response to the new service.
As reported by The Tribune, excited passengers — many of them pilgrims returning from the Vaishno Devi shrine — were seen boarding trains 26401 and 26403 at Katra Railway Station, eager to experience the first-ever direct rail journey into Kashmir. Railway officials confirmed that both trains were fully booked shortly after the Prime Minister’s flag-off ceremony on Friday.
The enthusiasm has translated into a surge in bookings. According to data available on the IRCTC mobile app, train 26401 is sold out in both chair car and executive class categories until June 12. Likewise, train 26403 has no seats available until June 10. On Saturday, both services departed Katra — the 8.10 am and 2.55 pm departures — on time and reached Srinagar without delay, marking a smooth launch of operations.
On the return leg from Srinagar to Katra, departures are scheduled at 8.00 am and 2.00 pm, arriving back by 10.58 am and 4.58 pm respectively. As of Saturday evening, tickets on the return route were still available.
Jammu Divisional Railway Manager Vivek Kumar told The Tribune that operations were proceeding without glitches and passengers had responded with overwhelming positivity. “Passengers are very excited to go to Kashmir in train as it is a journey where they will have scenic views. People going to the Valley have appreciated the direct rail link,” said Kumar.
The route traverses some of the most stunning stretches of the Himalayas, cutting through the mountainous districts of Reasi and Ramban before reaching the Valley. The engineering marvel of the journey — including the newly completed Chenab Bridge — adds to the allure for both tourists and locals.
Sumeet Dubey, a resident of Kanpur, was one such spontaneous traveller. Having come to Vaishno Devi with his family of four, Dubey changed his plans after watching the inauguration live. “I planned to visit Kashmir in train as it is a different experience. Going to Kashmir — that is a heaven on earth — in a train will be a lifetime memory for my family,” he told The Tribune.
The fully booked status of the new train service suggests not just a tourism boost but also a symbolic cementing of connectivity between Kashmir and the rest of the country — one that many passengers are already calling historic.
