Kashmir Impulse Desk

Jammu, May 19

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tueday approved slope stabilisation, tunnel rehabilitation, and bridge protection works worth Rs 238 crore on the Jammu-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra rail section of Northern Railway, officials said on Tuesday.

The sanctioned works follow a detailed assessment of vulnerable cuttings, bridges and tunnels along the route, the ministry said.

Vaishnaw said the approved projects reflected the government’s commitment to ensuring safe and reliable rail connectivity in some of the country’s most challenging terrains.

He said the measures would strengthen the long-term safety and reliability of the strategically important rail section.

The approved works include slope stabilisation, rehabilitation measures, treatment of tunnel seepage, bridge protection works and other safety interventions at vulnerable locations along the Jammu-Katra route.

The rail section has faced engineering and operational challenges due to difficult terrain, adverse geological conditions and extreme weather events, officials said.

“With the sanctioning of new protection and rehabilitation works for the existing infrastructure, the route is set to become more resilient than ever, ready to serve the millions who travel it each year with greater safety and confidence,” Vaishnaw said.

The Jammu-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra rail section forms part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025.

Until April 30 this year, Vande Bharat Express services operated between Katra and Srinagar.

On April 30, 2026, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express service was extended to Jammu, providing direct rail connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar.

Vaishnaw flagged off the inaugural Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express from Jammu Railway Station in the presence of Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other officials.

Commercial operations of the service began on May 2, with two pairs of trains currently operating daily between Jammu and Srinagar.