New Delhi, October 3: A Vande Bharat Express crossed the Chenab and Anji railway bridges at 100 km/h for the first time on October 2, marking a new operational milestone on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link in Jammu and Kashmir.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared a video of the run after the maximum permissible speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section was raised to 100 km/h.
Earlier, trains were permitted to run at up to 85 km/h between Katra and Sangaldan and up to 75 km/h between Sangaldan and Banihal. The revised limit now allows trains to operate at up to 100 km/h across the section.
Northern Railway had clarified in August that although approval for the higher speed had been granted, no train had, at that time, crossed either the Chenab Bridge or the Anji Bridge at 100 km/h. The October 2 run therefore marks the first confirmed operation at that speed over both structures.
The Katra-Banihal stretch forms part of the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, which connects the Kashmir Valley with the wider Indian railway network.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, located in Reasi district, is the world’s highest railway arch bridge, standing 359 metres above the riverbed and spanning 1,315 metres. The Anji Khad Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.
Vande Bharat services on the corridor were expanded in April 2026, when the train was extended to Jammu Tawi and increased from eight coaches to 20.
The higher permissible speed is expected to improve operational efficiency and reduce travel time on the Katra-Banihal section, according to railway officials.
