State PCS - J & K (KAS)

• 01 Apr 2025

PM to Inaugurate Vande Bharat Train

Why in News? 

The Prime Minister of India is going to inaugurate the first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir in April 2025. The train will cover the journey from Katra to Srinagar in just three hours, significantly reducing travel time. 

 Key Points 

• Expanded Railway Connectivity in Kashmir: 
  • Currently, railway services operate between Baramulla-Srinagar and Sangaldan in the Kashmir Valley. 
  • Officials confirmed that with the new connection between Sangaldan and Katra in Jammu, trains can now run across the entire stretch. 
  • The inauguration will mark the completion of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project. 
• Climate-Specific Features of Kashmir’s Vande Bharat Train: 
  • The train is equipped with advanced heating systems to withstand sub-zero temperatures. 
  • The driver’s front look-out glass includes embedded heating elements for defrosting and maintaining visibility in harsh winters. 
• Anji Khad Bridge:  
  • On the Katra-Banihal section, the train will traverse the Anji Khad Bridge, an engineering marvel. 
  • It is India's first cable-stayed rail bridge located in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district. It is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.  
  • The bridge spans 725.5 meters with a 331-meter-high pylon, built to withstand winds up to 213 km/h and support trains traveling at 100 km/h.  
  • It utilizes 96 cables of varying lengths (82 to 295 meters) and an innovative hybrid foundation to stabilize the mountain slopes. 

 Vande Bharat Trains 

• It is an indigenously designed and manufactured semi high speed, self-propelled train that is touted as the next major leap for the Indian Railways in terms of speed and passenger convenience since the introduction of Rajdhani trains. 
• The first Vande Bharat was manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, as part of the ‘Make in India’ programme, at a cost of about Rs. 100 crore. 
• The Vande Bharat was India’s first attempt at adaptation of the train set technology compared with conventional systems of passenger coaches hauled by separate locomotives. 
  • The train set configuration, though complex, is faster, easier to maintain, consumes less energy, and has greater flexibility in train operation.