Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat train service to start operations from Jun 7

The Vande Bharat train service between Katra and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir will start commercial operations from June 7, the Northern Railway said on Thursday.

The train will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) platform will start reflecting these trains for prospective passengers to book tickets after the inauguration, an official said.

According to Northern Railway, two Vande Bharat train sets will make four trips during the day between Katra and Srinagar.

"It has two travelling classes Chair Car (CC) and Executive Class (EC) with tickets costing Rs 715 and Rs 1,320 respectively," an official from the Northern Railway said.

The first train will commence from Katra at 8:10 am and reach Srinagar at 11:08 am. The same train will return in the afternoon from Srinagar at 2 PM and reach Katra at 4:58 pm. This train service will not be available on Tuesday.

Another train will start from Katra at 2:55 pm and reach Srinagar at 5:53 pm. The same train will return from Srinagar the next day at 8 am. This service will not operate on Wednesday.

"During its approximately 3-hour long journey, as of now the trains will only stop at Banihal but later on other stoppages will also be decided," an official said.