Kashmir rail line speed limit raised to 100 km/h as Vande Bharat clears record bridges
The speed limit on the 111-km Katra-Banihal railway segment was increased from 75 km/h to 100 km/h, and a Vande Bharat Express train crossed the Chenab and Anji bridges at the new maximum speed.
More than a year after the inauguration of the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal railway segment, the maximum authorized speed has been raised from 75 km/h to 100 km/h. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the new limit was successfully tested when Vande Bharat Express (train No. 26401/26404) crossed the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, and the Anji Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, at the upgraded speed.
The speed boost is expected to improve service frequency and reduce travel times on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, a 272-km project costing Rs 43,780 crore and featuring 36 tunnels and 943 bridges. A specially configured Vande Bharat train, equipped with heated windshields, advanced heating, insulated toilets and seismic dampers, will operate in the harsh winter conditions of the Himalayas, maintaining connectivity even at minus 20 °C. The enhancements aim to strengthen trade, tourism and overall connectivity for the previously isolated regions of Kashmir. The achievement underscores the engineering feats accomplished in the difficult mountainous terrain of Jammu and Kashmir.
Why it matters
Higher speeds cut travel time and boost economic ties between Kashmir and the rest of India.
In this story
