SRINAGAR: In a significant boost to rail connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir, the Vande Bharat Express service between Srinagar and Katra has been extended up to Jammu Tawi, with revised schedules and operational details set to come into effect from May 2, 2026.
As per the updated timetable, Train No. 26401 (Jammu Tawi–Srinagar) and Train No. 26402 (Srinagar–Jammu Tawi) will operate between the two cities, marking a major milestone in seamless rail connectivity across the Union Territory.
Train No. 26401 (Jammu Tawi to Srinagar): The train will depart Jammu Tawi at 06:20 AM and arrive in Srinagar at 11:10 AM, completing the journey in 4 hours 50 minutes.
En route, it will halt at Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (08:05–08:10 AM), Reasi (08:28–08:30 AM), and Banihal (09:56–09:58 AM). The service will run six days a week, except on Tuesdays.
Train No. 26403 (Jammu Tawi to Srinagar): The second service in the up direction will depart Jammu Tawi at 01:20 PM and reach Srinagar at 06:00 PM, taking 4 hours and 40 minutes for the journey. It will stop at Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (02:50–02:55 PM) and Banihal (04:40–04:42 PM). This train will operate six days a week, except Wednesdays.
Train No. 26404 (Srinagar to Jammu Tawi): In the down direction, the train will depart Srinagar at 08:00 AM and arrive in Jammu Tawi at 12:40 PM, covering the distance in 4 hours 40 minutes. It will halt at Banihal (09:00–09:02 AM) and Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (11:05–11:10 AM). The service will run six days a week, except on Wednesdays.
Train No. 26402 (Srinagar to Jammu Tawi): Another service will depart Srinagar at 02:00 PM and reach Jammu Tawi at 06:50 PM, taking 4 hours and 50 minutes. The train will stop at Banihal (02:58–03:00 PM), Reasi (04:34–04:36 PM), and Sri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (05:05–05:10 PM). This service will operate six days a week, except Tuesdays.
Railway authorities have confirmed that Train Nos. Trains 26403 and 26404, which earlier operated between Srinagar and Katra, have now been extended up to Jammu Tawi. The Vande Bharat trains will operate with a 20-coach configuration, including DTC-02, MC-10, TC-05, NDTC/EC-02, and NDTC/CC-01 coaches. The trains are fully electric and will be maintained at Budgam with RBPC facilities.
The total distance between Srinagar and Jammu Tawi is 266.66 kilometres, with average speeds ranging between 55.17 kmph and 57.14 kmph depending on the service.
The extension comes in the backdrop of a major transformation in Jammu and Kashmir’s railway infrastructure. On June 6, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), a 272-kilometre all-weather railway project that integrated the Kashmir Valley with the national rail network.
The Udhampur–Katra section had been commissioned earlier in 2014, while the Valley saw its first electric train in February 2024. A dedicated Jammu Railway Division was established in January 2025, and key stations including Jammu Tawi, Katra, Udhampur and Budgam are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
Constructed at a cost of ₹43,780 crore, the USBRL project comprises 36 tunnels spanning 119 kilometres and 943 bridges, forming the backbone of the region’s rail connectivity.
