SRINAGAR: The maximum permissible speed of trains on the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) will be raised to 100 kmph from October 2, according to an order issued by Northern Railway.
The decision will allow high-speed Vande Bharat services operating on the section to run at the enhanced speed from 12 midnight on Friday, October 2, subject to the applicable operational conditions.
An order issued on Wednesday by the Senior Divisional Operations Manager (SDOM) of Northern Railway said approval had been granted to increase the maximum permissible speed on the Katra-Banihal section of the electrified single-line section of the Jammu division.
The order said the enhanced speed limit would take effect from 00:00 hours on October 2, 2026, following compliance with the stipulations and conditions laid down by the competent authority.
Official sources told ETV Bharat that the decision followed a recent visit to the section by the Principal Chief Engineer of Northern Railway.
The 111-kilometre Katra-Banihal section forms part of the new broad-gauge rail link under the Jammu division. On August 19, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved an increase in the permissible speed to 100 kmph after the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) recommended the change.
Before the latest decision, trains were permitted to operate at a maximum speed of 85 kmph between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Sangaldan, while the limit on the Sangaldan-Banihal section was 75 kmph.
ETV Bharat had reported on August 7 that CRS, Northern Circle, Dinesh Chand Deshwal had inspected the Katra-Banihal section and found it suitable for increasing the maximum speed to 100 kmph.
Prior to the CRS inspection, an Oscillation Monitoring System (OMS) train had conducted a track test at speeds ranging between 110 and 115 kmph.
