The Railway Minister did not provide a specific date for the opening, but he did say that the Jammu-Srinagar railway line is likely to open this fiscal year.
Indian Railways operates the Vande Bharat Express, a medium-distance train service. These are day train services that link Indian cities that are fewer than 10 hours apart, similar to the Shatabdi Express.
For most of Indian Railways’ existence, speed and comfort were secondary concerns to safety. The replacement of aging ICF carriages with newer, safer LHB coaches dramatically reduced rail accidents. After addressing some of the safety problems, the Indian Railways eventually prioritized speed and comfort.
There are two seating choices on the train: Chair Car and Executive Chair Car. Air-conditioned coaches with airline-style seats in a 2-3 layout are available. The service provides onboard dining, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian meal choices included as standard in the cuisine.
In addition to onboard Wi-Fi and an entertainment system, the service includes power outlets and reading lamps. Automatic doors, smoke alarms, CCTV cameras, an odor control system, bio-vacuum toilets, and sensor-based water taps are among the features of the train. All windows have roller shades and overhead racks offer baggage storage.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said Kashmir is soon set to get Vande Bharat express train on the Jammu-Srinagar route. “Once the Jammu to Srinagar railway line is completed very soon Vande Bharat will also be run on that,” Vaishnaw said as quoted by the news agency PTI. Further, the Railway Minister added that the train has been designed uniquely so that it runs very smoothly in those temperatures and altitudes.
Aside from Kashmir, the Railway Minister said that after the railway line to the northeastern state is electrified, the semi-high-speed train would also serve the people of Tripura.
Vaishnaw went on to say that Prime Minister Modi has taken a personal interest in the development of the northeastern area and Jammu & Kashmir, where train services are being greatly increased.
The Minister said that the government intends to deploy 75 Vande Bharat trains by March of next year and that the government is also interested in running sleeper versions of the trains on long-distance routes as an alternative to Rajdhani Express trains.
Meanwhile, the Railway Minister launched two new trains in the Northeast area on Thursday, extended the services of two others, and inaugurated a Vistadome carriage on the Budgam-Banihal line in Jammu and Kashmir.
One of the new trains links Guwahati with Dullabcherra in Assam, and it was hailed off by video-conferencing by the railway minister. The second new train, according to the Ministry of Railways, would be a diesel multiple unit (DEMU) that will link Agartala with Sabroom in Tripura.
The Guwahati-Secunderabad Express service has been expanded beyond the Guwahati station to link Silchar, Assam, to Secunderabad, Telangana. Similarly, the Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak Express from Mumbai has been extended to Agartala, the capital of Tripura. It said that the Kamakhya station is located in Guwahati.
