SRINAGAR: Indian Railways conducted a significant trial run on Saturday, (January 25, 2025) testing the first Vande Bharat train on the route from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to Srinagar railway station.

This train journey is particularly remarkable as it traverses the Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, and the iconic Chenab Bridge, which holds the title of the world’s highest railway bridge.

Designed specifically to endure the cold climate of the Kashmir Valley, this Vande Bharat train showcases Indian engineering excellence. On January 23, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared that numerous countries have expressed interest in importing India’s semi-high-speed Vande Bharat trains.

“Many countries are keen on Vande Bharat,” Vaishnaw said when asked about international queries regarding the train, which is entirely made in India. He also mentioned a unique anecdote, stating, “Some participants of Indian origin said their children wanted to experience the Vande Bharat when they visited India.”

The Vande Bharat Express, India’s first indigenous semi-high-speed train, is a hallmark of the 'Make in India' initiative. Its maiden journey was flagged off on February 15, 2019, covering the New Delhi-Kanpur-Allahabad-Varanasi route at a speed of 160 km/h.

In the 2022-23 financial year, around 31.84 lakh tickets were booked for Vande Bharat trains, which achieved an impressive occupancy rate of 96.62%.

These trains are equipped with modern amenities and advanced safety systems, including Kavach technology, accessible toilets for differently-abled passengers, and Braille-integrated signage. The Vande Bharat series now includes four variants: the Vande Bharat Chair Car, Vande Bharat Sleeper, Namo Bharat Train, and Amrit Bharat Train.

“With these four types of trains, passengers in India will experience high-quality travel services,” the Railway Minister noted. He further added that testing for the Vande Bharat Sleeper variant is nearly complete, with the data currently under analysis before production begins at the Integral Coach Factory.

The highly-expected Vande Bharat Express is set to revolutionize travel between Srinagar and Katra, slashing journey times to just three hours. Once commercial operations commence, this state-of-the-art train will bridge the 190-kilometer gap with unprecedented efficiency.

According to the scheduled timetable, the inaugural Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat Express will depart from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) at 8:10 AM, arriving at its destination by 11:20 AM. Conversely, the return journey from Katra to Srinagar is slated to commence at 12:45 PM, culminating at SVDK by 3:55 PM.