In a big step for better travel in Jammu and Kashmir the Vande Bharat Express has now started regular service between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra from Saturday. According to Northern Railway the fast train will run six days a week and will greatly reduce the time it takes to travel between the Kashmir Valley and the famous religious town of Katra. This is seen as a major improvement in the region’s transport system. With the new train the journey between Srinagar and Katra will now take only three hours which is less than half of the usual six to seven hours it takes by road. There will be two pairs of Vande Bharat Express trains on this new route: Train Nos. 26404/26403 and 26401/26402. These trains will stop at Banihal along the way. What makes these trains special is that they are built to handle extreme winter weather. They come with heaters insulated toilets heated windshields and defrosting features to help the driver see clearly even in snow and fog. Coaches include a heating system for sub-zero conditions in Srinagar 360-degree rotating seats and charging points for passenger comfort The first train no 26401 commenced from Katra at 8:10 am and reached Srinagar at 11:08 am. The same train will return in the afternoon from Srinagar at 2:00 PM and reach Karta at 4:58 PM. This train service will not be available on Tuesday. Another train no 26403 will start from Katra at 2:55 PM and will reach Srinagar at 5:53. The same train will return from Srinagar the next day at 8 am. This service will not operate on Wednesday. The train has two classes Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC). The price of a chair car ticket is Rs 715 and the price of an executive class ticket is Rs 1320. On Friday Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially launched the first run of the Vande Bharat Express trains between Srinagar and Katra. This comes after the successful completion of the 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line a major engineering achievement that includes the world-famous Chenab Bridge the highest railway arch bridge in the world. Until now trains only operated on two separate routes: Banihal to Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu to Udhampur to Katra in the Jammu region. With this new rail link the Valley is now fully connected by train to the rest of India. The launch of the Vande Bharat Express is expected to be a game-changer. It will offer faster and more reliable travel for local people tourists and especially pilgrims visiting the holy Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Thanks to all-weather capabilities and modern onboard features the Vande Bharat Express promises a comfortable and premium travel experience while also strengthening the connection between North India and Kashmir.