Vande Bharat train to soon run in Kashmir; Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shares update

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said Kashmir is soon set to get Vande Bharat express train on the Jammu-Srinagar route. "Once the Jammu to Srinagar railway line is completed very soon Vande Bharat will also be run on that," Vaishnaw said as quoted by news agency PTI. Further adding, the Railway Minister added that the train has been designed in a unique way so that they run very smoothly in those temperatures and altitude.

Not stating the exact time of the launch, but the Railway minister added that Jammu-Srinagar railway line is expected to start within this financial year. 

Apart from Kashmir, the Railway Minister also added that the semi-high speed train will also serve the people of Tripura once the railway line to the northeastern state gets electrified. 

Vaishnaw further added that PM Modi has taken personal interest in the development of the northeastern region and Jammu and Kashmir where railway services were being expanded in a big way.

The Minister said that government plans to roll out 75 Vande Bharat trains by March next year, adding that the government is also keen to run sleeper versions of the trains on long-distance routes as an alternative to Rajdhani Express trains.

Also Read: Vande Bharat sleeper coach: Ashwini Vaishnaw shares new photos, rollout in 2024. Details here

Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Railway Minister had flagged off two new trains in the Northeast region, extended the services of two others as well as inaugurated a Vistadome coach in the Budgam-Banihal train in Jammu and Kashmir.

Also Read: Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor launched; Check route, timings, features and other details here

One of the new trains connects Guwahati and Dullabcherra in Assam, and it was simultaneously flagged off by the railway minister through video-conferencing. As per the Ministry of Railways, the other new train is a diesel multiple unit (DEMU) that will connect Agartala and Sabroom in Tripura.

The service of the Guwahati-Secunderabad Express has been extended beyond the Guwahati station to connect Silchar in Assam to Secunderabad in Telangana. Similarly, the service of the Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak Express from Mumbai has been extended to Tripura capital Agartala. The Kamakhya station is in Guwahati, it said.

(With inputs from PTI)