Planning to Travel On World’s Highest Railway Bridge Over Chenab? Brace For Long Waiting List On Vande Bharat
Vande Bharat trains crossing the world’s highest Chenab Bridge are fully booked with long waiting lists. Discover why this new Kashmir route is sparking huge travel demand now.
In a landmark moment for Kashmir’s transport and tourism sectors, both newly launched Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Srinagar began commercial operations on Saturday with 100% occupancy. The enthusiastic response came just a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the two high-speed trains, marking a historic leap in the region’s connectivity.
According to officials from the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), the overwhelming demand isn’t just a one-day affair. By Saturday afternoon, the next three scheduled journeys for both trains had also sold out, with waiting lists already piling up.
All Seats Taken, Demand Soars
Train number 20401, which leaves from Katra at 8 a.m., has seen no empty seats since bookings opened. The next three trips are already fully booked, with a waiting list that has ballooned to over 60 passengers. Meanwhile, Train 20403 isn’t far behind — its waiting list has already crossed 50.
These numbers paint a clear picture: there’s immense public interest in the new service, which not only offers modern amenities and quicker travel times but also winds through some of India’s most breathtaking terrain — from verdant valleys to snow-capped peaks.
A New Chapter in Kashmir’s Connectivity
Until recently, Srinagar was accessible only by air or road. That changed with the completion of a crucial rail link that has now brought India’s fastest trains to the heart of the Kashmir Valley.
“This kind of response showcases the growing enthusiasm around improved infrastructure,” an official from the Railway Ministry said. “With faster, safer, and more comfortable travel options now available, we expect a surge in tourism in the valley.”
Sleek, Fast, and Built for the Terrain
The new Vande Bharat trains have been engineered to handle the region’s extreme weather conditions. The flagship Train 26401 departs from Katra at 8:10 a.m. and reaches Srinagar by 11:08 a.m., making just one brief two-minute stop at Banihal. The journey — covering 272 km in just under three hours — offers chair car tickets priced at ₹715 and executive class fares at ₹1,320.
The return leg, Train 26402, leaves Srinagar at 2 p.m. and arrives in Katra at 4:58 p.m., with the same quick halt at Banihal. Chair car fares on the return trip are ₹880, and executive class is priced at ₹1,515. Both trains will run six days a week, taking a break only on Tuesdays.
Bridging Generations of Delay
The inauguration of these services is more than just a transportation milestone — it’s the culmination of a vision more than two decades in the making. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, declared a national project in 2002 after work began in 1999, is now complete.
At the heart of this engineering marvel lies the Chenab Bridge, the highest railway arch bridge in the world. The route includes 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, and has been hailed by the government as “India’s boldest step yet in transforming connectivity in the Himalayas.”
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