Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, April 30 

Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad on Thursday urged India’s railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to consider adding a stop for the Vande Bharat Express at Anantnag station in south Kashmir.

Altaf, who represents the Anantnag–Rajouri constituency, welcomed the extension of the Vande Bharat service from Jammu to Srinagar but said the absence of a halt at Anantnag was an inconvenience for residents of the region.

“I urge the railways minister to include Anantnag Railway Station as a scheduled stop for the Vande Bharat Express,” he said in a statement, adding that he had raised the issue earlier as well.

He described the expanded service as a milestone linking Kashmir with India’s broader rail network, but said better access was needed for south Kashmir, which has a large population of students, traders, professionals and government employees.

Altaf said that while Banihal mainly functions as a transit point, Anantnag serves a wider and more permanent catchment area, making it a suitable stop for the semi-high-speed train.

Providing a halt at Anantnag would ensure more equitable access to premium rail services in the region, he said, urging authorities to act on the demand at the earliest.