Jammu, May 1 -- Union minister for railways Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off the extended Srinagar-Katra Vande Bharat Express service from Jammu Tawi station, establishing a direct link between the two capital cities. While the inaugural run took place on Thursday, regular service between Jammu and Srinagar is scheduled to commence on May 2. "The Vande Bharat service has been extended to Jammu from Katra. Now, a direct Vande Bharat between Jammu and Srinagar shall be available to the people. We have also increased rakes to 20 from eight because there was a huge demand by the people," Vaishnaw told reporters onboard the inaugural train. He said that Poonch-Rajouri rail link and Uri-Baramulla line extension were under planning and DPR stage adding that doubling of rail line between Qazigund and Baramullah in Kashmir was also underway. He recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi first inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project and introduced the service from Katra to Srinagar last year. "The extension of Vande Bharat to Jammu and upgrading it to 20 coaches will benefit people. The eight-coach VB always had 100% occupancy and there was a huge demand by the people to increase the rakes," he said. Trains are equipped with advanced operating systems and electronics suited for high-altitude conditions, he added. En route Vaishnaw disembarked at Katra railway and inspected Anji and Chenab bridges in Reasi district. The minister noted that the USBRL project, built at a cost of Rs.43,780 crore with 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, serves as the essential connective tissue for this expansion. He emphasised that rail connectivity to Kashmir has provided a major impetus for transporting cement, automobiles, and fertilisers to the Valley, while ensuring the quick transport of fresh fruits to the rest of the country. "I've been told that cost of cement (in Srinagar) has come down by Rs.50 per bag," he said, adding a survey for extending the rail network to the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch is currently underway. The upgrade to 20 rakes allows travellers from Delhi to reach Srinagar directly, benefiting tourists and pilgrims alike. "En route they can enjoy scenic views. Travelling on Vande Bharat going to be a good and comfortable experience. It's fully secured and safe," the train's loco pilot said. Priyanka, a young housewife on board, expressed gratitude for the service's reliability during harsh weather. "We express our gratitude to the PM for introducing this service to Jammu. This train will immensely benefit tourists, pilgrims and daily commuters because when the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway-44 gets blocked and flights get affected during inclement weather, this train service would provide the much-needed relief. ," she said. Two pairs of services will operate across the 266-km corridor. Train No. 26401 departs Jammu Tawi at 6.20am and arrives in Srinagar at 11.10am, with the return (No. 26402) leaving Srinagar at 2pm. This pair runs six days a week, except Tuesday. The second service (No. 26404) leaves Srinagar at 8am, arriving in Jammu at 12.40pm, with its return (No. 26403) departing Jammu at 1.20pm and reaching Srinagar by 6pm, running daily except Wednesday. Jammu and Kashmir chief minister (CM) Omar Abdullah described the occasion as "a day long awaited by the people of Jammu and Kashmir". "This is the day we had been waiting for years," he said. Congratulating the Union government and the railway ministry, the CM recalled the inauguration of key infrastructure projects, including the iconic Chenab Railway Bridge and Anji Khad Bridge, nearly ten months ago. "Today, a dream has been realised. With this rail link, Jammu and Kashmir is more connected than ever before," Omar said. Union minister of state Dr Jitendra Singh said the introduction of this direct train service to Jammu and Kashmir was set to significantly enhance ease of travel, improve logistics efficiency, and promote ease of doing business across the region. Dr Singh emphasised that improved rail connectivity was expected to lead to a substantial rise in tourist and pilgrim inflow to important destinations in the region, while facilitating seamless and efficient movement of security personnel. In Srinagar, stakeholders called the service a game changer for tourism and trade. "Travel time will reduce to 4-5 hours. earlier we relied on the highway which often shut due to weather," said Javaid Tenga, president of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Javaid Tenga said that it was a dream come true movement. "It is a big achievement that a direct train will run from Srinagar to Jammu. We welcome it. We will benefit a lot as primarily the travel will become easy and travel time will reduce to just 4-5 hours. Earlier we had to rely on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway which used to get closed every now and then owing to weather," Tenga said. Jammu Chamber of Commerce president Arun Gupta said, "In the coming days, people, particularly families, will also think of one-day trips - going in morning, riding a Shikara at Dal lake and then returning back to Jammu."...