The regular service of Vande Bharat Express trains between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra began on June 7, 2025.
These trains will run six days a week and will improve connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and important pilgrimage sites.
The railways have announced two pairs of Vande Bharat trains on this route (train numbers 26404/26403 and 26401/26402), with stops including Banihal.
Train Schedule
Train 26404/26403 (Srinagar – Katra – Srinagar) – Runs 6 days a week (except Wednesdays) from June 7, 2025
Train 26404 departs Srinagar at 8:00 AM, reaches Banihal at 9:02 AM, and arrives at Katra at 10:58 AM
Train 26403 departs Katra at 2:55 PM, reaches Banihal at 4:40 PM, and arrives at Srinagar at 5:53 PM
Train 26401/26402 (Katra – Srinagar – Katra) – Runs 6 days a week (except Tuesdays) from June 7, 2025
Train 26401 departs Katra at 8:10 AM, reaches Banihal at 9:58 AM, and arrives at Srinagar at 11:08 AM
Train 26402 departs Srinagar at 2:00 PM, reaches Banihal at 3:10 PM, and arrives at Katra at 4:58 PM
Ticket Fares
Bookings are open on IRCTC. Here are the fares for AC Chair Car (CC) and Executive Chair Car (EC):
- Train 26401 Katra-Srinagar: CC ₹715, EC ₹1320
- Train 26403 Katra-Srinagar: CC ₹660, EC ₹1270
- Train 26402 Srinagar-Katra: CC ₹880, EC ₹1515
- Train 26404 Srinagar-Katra: CC ₹715, EC ₹1320
Chenab Rail Bridge to Be Inaugurated on June 6
The Chenab Rail Bridge is a modern engineering marvel in Jammu and Kashmir.
It is the world’s highest railway bridge—35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower and 287 meters higher than Delhi’s Qutub Minar.
Why Is Chenab Rail Bridge Special?
Located 359 meters above the river bed
Length of 1,315 meters, part of the 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link
Built at a cost of ₹1,486 crores
Can withstand winds up to 266 km/h
Located in seismic zone 5, it can survive an earthquake of magnitude 8 on the Richter scale
Travel Time Reduced by 3 Hours
Thanks to the Chenab Rail Bridge, travel time between Katra and Srinagar will be cut by 3 hours.
This will save a lot of commuting time for people in the valley. The first trial run on the bridge was successfully completed in June 2024, followed by a Vande Bharat trial in January 2025.
