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The Railway Board has temporarily put on hold the planned extension of the Vande Bharat Express between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar, which was scheduled to begin on March 1. The decision was communicated shortly after Northern Railway announced the rollout of the upgraded 20-coach train on the route. Officials cited unavoidable circumstances for the pause and said a fresh update would be issued later. The extension was expected to provide direct rail connectivity between the two capitals of Jammu and Kashmir following the operationalisation of the USBRL project.
The Railway Board has decided to pause the proposed extension of the Vande Bharat Express service between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar. The service was scheduled to begin on March 1. The decision was communicated soon after Northern Railway had formally announced the commencement of the direct service. Advertisement
In its communication, the Railway Board stated that the extension has been kept on hold due to unavoidable circumstances. It added that a revised update would be shared in due course and acknowledged the inconvenience caused to passengers and other stakeholders. No fresh date has been announced so far.
Northern Railway had earlier informed that the Vande Bharat Express would operate directly between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar, replacing the existing arrangement that required passengers to travel between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and then continue onward. The extension was seen as a significant step towards seamless rail connectivity between the winter and summer capitals of the Union Territory.
The proposed service was to be operated with an upgraded 20-coach Vande Bharat rake instead of the standard eight-coach configuration currently deployed on many routes. The larger rake was intended to handle higher passenger demand and improve carrying capacity, especially during peak travel seasons and pilgrimage movement.
The development follows the completion and operationalisation of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which established all-weather rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. The introduction of Vande Bharat services on the Srinagar-Katra stretch had already reduced travel time and improved comfort compared to road journeys along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which is often affected by weather disruptions.
With the extension now paused, passengers planning to travel directly between Jammu and Srinagar by Vande Bharat will have to wait for further clarification. Railway authorities have not specified the operational or technical reasons behind the deferment.
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