Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Oct 17
The Ministry of Railways has extended the Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, adding three stops in Jammu and Kashmir and revising the schedules of around two dozen trains operating through the Jammu division.
The extension will take effect from October 18 for departures from Sabarmati and October 20 for departures from Katra, Northern Railway officials said.
The extended service will stop at Samba, Bari Brahmana and Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan railway station in Udhampur district.
Raghvender Singh, a public relations inspector with the Jammu Railway Division, said the extension would provide direct rail access to Katra for pilgrims travelling from Gujarat and other parts of western and northern India.
He said the additional stops would also benefit residents, students, traders and military personnel, particularly those connected with the Bari Brahmana industrial area.
Train 19223 will leave Sabarmati at 10:25 am, reach Jammu Tawi at 3:35 pm on the second day and arrive in Katra at 6:55 p.m.
On the return journey, train 19224 will depart from Katra at 4:50 am and reach Jammu Tawi at 7:40 am, Singh said.
The extension has prompted changes to the timings of other services, including the Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, the Kalka-Katra service and trains connecting Katra with Kamakhya and Ghazipur City.
Under the revised schedule, the Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express will depart from Katra at 5:40 am, Udhampur at 6:08 am and Jammu at 7:08 am from October 20.
The Kalka-Katra train will leave Jammu Tawi at 3:20 am and Udhampur at 4:12 am, reaching Katra at 4:47 am on the same date.
Other changes will take effect on different dates between October 18 and October 25, including revisions to services between Jammu, Udhampur and Katra.
Railway officials advised passengers to check the updated schedules on the official railway website or the National Train Enquiry System before travelling.
