Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 25: In a dramatic late-night development, the Railway Board on Tuesday put on hold the proposed extension of the Vande Bharat Express from Srinagar to Jammu—just hours after Northern Railways had announced that the service would commence from March 1.
Confirming the decision, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said, “Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the notification programme for the extension of Vande Bharat from March 1 has been put on hold by the Railway Board till further advice.” He added that additional details would be shared as soon as they are received and expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers.
Earlier in the evening, Northern Railways had officially declared that the Vande Bharat Express would be extended from Katra to Jammu Tawi, paving the way for direct rail connectivity between the twin capital cities of Jammu and Kashmir.
“It is notified for the information of all concerned that the Vande Bharat Express will be extended up to Jammu Tawi from March 1,” Singhal had said in the initial communication issued earlier in the day.
The sudden reversal has left passengers, tourism stakeholders, and local residents surprised and awaiting clarity from railway authorities regarding the reasons behind the deferment and a revised launch date.
The premium train service was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6 after the inauguration of the Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Rail Link project, which established all-weather rail connectivity to the Kashmir Valley.
Currently, the Vande Bharat Express operates between Srinagar and Katra with an eight-coach rake. Railway officials had earlier indicated that the extended Jammu–Srinagar service would run with an upgraded 20-coach configuration to meet growing passenger demand.
With the extension now put on hold, no fresh timeline has been announced, leaving the much-anticipated direct rail link between Jammu and Srinagar hanging in uncertainty. |
