New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): The Northern Railway on Thursday announced the commencement of regular services of the Vande Bharat Express trains between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra starting June 7.

The services will operate six days a week, enhancing connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the prominent pilgrimage destination.

Two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains, Train Nos. 26404/26403 and 26401/26402 were introduced on the Srinagar-Katra-Srinagar route, with an intermediate halt at Banihal.

The trains were set to operate six days a week, excluding Wednesdays.

SMVD Katra Vande Bharat Express departed from Srinagar at 08:00 hrs, halted at Banihal at 09:02 hrs, and reached Katra at 10:58 hrs.

Srinagar Vande Bharat Express departed from Katra at 14:55 hrs, stopped at Banihal at 16:40 hrs, and arrived in Srinagar at 17:53 hrs.

This service was scheduled for six days a week, excluding Tuesdays.

Srinagar Vande Bharat Express left Katra at 08:10 hrs, reached Banihal at 09:58 hrs, and arrived in Srinagar at 11:08 hrs.

Srinagar - SMVD Katra Vande Bharat Express started from Srinagar at 14:00 hrs, passed Banihal at 15:10 hrs, and reached Katra at 16:58 hrs.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to flag off the Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar on June 6, marking the completion of the Katra-Sangaldan rail link project.

The new route includes the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, making it a historic milestone for Indian Railways.The inauguration has sparked excitement among residents in the region.

Speaking to ANI, Abdul Azeez Chandel said, 'It will be very convenient if the train service begins here. We are very thankful to the government for working on this. It gives great comfort to the common people.'

Kesar Singh, another local, recalled the area's past and noted the positive change.'I am very happy the train services started here. Earlier, the situation was bad here because of militancy. But now everything is good here. Nobody thought that the train would come here.'

He added, 'The train will prove to be very convenient for the people. I applaud PM Modi for doing Operation Sindoor. He gave Pakistan a much-needed response.'

Chaudhary Ghulam Hussain urged for more development, 'We have been waiting for the train from Katra to arrive as soon as possible for a long time. We want our people to benefit from it. We need such projects in Gulmarg, Srinagar, and Pahalgam.'

Hussain said that the expansion will bring employment opportunities for locals.'If it is brought on the tourism map, it would be very good for us and the people because it would increase our employment opportunities for our children,' he said.

Another local, Kuldeep Kumar Sharma, added, 'We had no hope that the train would run. But Prime Minister Narendra Modi made this real. It is a matter of happiness because it can connect us with the rest of India. It was a dream for us, but PM Modi did this in reality.'

Meanwhile, security measures have been tightened at Udhampur Railway Station before the Prime Minister's visit. The completion of this link not only boosts regional connectivity but also integrates Jammu and Kashmir more closely with the national railway grid. (ANI)