Latest Development: Amritsar-Katra Vande Bharat Express: Details Regarding Route, Fare, Schedule, and Station Stops Revealed
The Indian Railways have introduced a new semi-high-speed train service, the Vande Bharat Express, connecting Amritsar in Punjab and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). This service, launched on August 10, aims to enhance passenger comfort, reduce travel time, and improve regional connectivity.
The Vande Bharat Express, known for its speed, comfort, and safety, is equipped with advanced features like the Kavach automatic train protection system, rapid acceleration, automatic plug doors, CCTVs, and ergonomic reclining seats. The service will operate as train numbers 26405/26406.
For the return journey, train number 26403 (Amritsar-Katra) will leave Amritsar at 16:25 hrs and reach Katra at 22:00 hrs. Train number 26406 (Katra-Amritsar) will depart Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 06:40 hrs and arrive in Amritsar at 12:20 hrs. The Amritsar-Katra Vande Bharat Express will complete the journey in 5 hours 35 minutes, making it a faster alternative to existing services on the route.
The service will run daily except Tuesdays and will consist of eight coaches, offering two types of seating arrangements: AC Chair Car and Executive Chair Car. The AC Chair Car fare is Rs 1,170, while the Executive Chair Car fare is Rs 2,085.
This addition further strengthens the Indian Railways' Vande Bharat network, which currently operates 144 services nationwide. The Vande Bharat Express train is operated and maintained by the Northern Railway (NR) zone.
While the specific Vande Bharat Sleeper train for the Amritsar-Katra route is yet to be launched, it is set to begin operations around September 2025. This sleeper variant, a new addition to the Vande Bharat family, will include AC First Class, AC 2-Tier, and AC 3-Tier sleepers, capable of speeds up to 180 km/h.
The Vande Bharat train from Amritsar to Katra will stop at four intermediate stations: Beas, Jalandhar City, Pathankot Cantt, and Jammu Tawi. This new service is expected to benefit pilgrims travelling to the Vaishno Devi temple, as well as tourists exploring Punjab and Jammu.
References:
- Indian Railways to launch Vande Bharat Sleeper train in September 2025
- Vande Bharat Express Amritsar-Katra: All you need to know
- Vande Bharat Express: All you need to know about the semi-high-speed train
- Vande Bharat Sleeper train to be launched in September 2025
- The Indian Railways' Vande Bharat family is expanding, with the upcoming launch of a Vande Bharat Sleeper train on the Amritsar-Katra route in September 2025.
- The introduction of the Vande Bharat Express on the Amritsar-Katra route has brought a new dimension to the transportation industry, offering faster travel times and enhancing regional connectivity.
- In the realm of finance, the new Vande Bharat Express train service not only supports the tourism industry by facilitating travel but also contributes to the growth of the J&K regional economy by boosting local commerce.
