Jammu, Oct 03 (NVI): The maximum permissible speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section of the Jammu-Srinagar rail link has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Friday.
The enhanced speed limit was successfully tested on Thursday, marking a significant step towards improving train operations on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), the minister said.
The Vande Bharat Express (Train Nos. 26401/26404) also achieved a new operational milestone by crossing the Chenab Rail Bridge and Anji Rail Bridge at a speed of 100 kmph, Vaishnaw said.
The Chenab Rail Bridge, built over the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir, is the world’s highest railway arch bridge, while the Anji Bridge is India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.
The increase in the permissible speed is expected to reduce travel time between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley and improve the efficiency and reliability of train services operating on the USBRL network.
The development comes amid continued efforts by the Indian Railways to strengthen infrastructure and operational capabilities along the strategically important rail corridor connecting the Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.
Railway officials said the successful 100-kmph run across the two major bridges demonstrated the operational readiness of the infrastructure and would facilitate faster and smoother passenger services on the route.—(NVI)
