INDIA: Indian Railways has confirmed four new train pairs in Jammu Division, adding direct services between Katra, Budgam, Amritsar, Jammu Tawi and Srinagar during the 2025–26 financial year.

Flower-decorated Vande Bharat train being flagged off at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station
Prime Minister Narendra Modi flags off a Vande Bharat train from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar on 6 June 2025. Photo: Prime Minister’s Office / GODL-India

The Ministry of Railways disclosed the expansion in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 22 July. The statement covers services introduced across the financial year rather than four simultaneous launches in July 2026.

Three Vande Bharat pairs form the core

The four-pair package consists of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra–Budgam Express, the Amritsar–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express and two Jammu Tawi–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express pairs.

The Ministry’s current Vande Bharat list identifies the three premium pairs as trains 26405/26406 on the Amritsar–Katra route and 26401/26402 plus 26403/26404 between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar. Three of the four additions are therefore Vande Bharat services; the Katra–Budgam Express is the conventional fourth pair.

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Jammu–Srinagar trains offer two daily patterns

The Jammu Tawi–Srinagar entries are two timetabled return pairs, not separate one-way routes. An official corridor update says they cover around 266 km and provide morning and afternoon options from both ends on most days.

Train 26401 leaves Jammu Tawi in the morning and calls at Katra, Reasi and Banihal before Srinagar, while 26402 operates the return journey. The second pair, 26403/26404, serves the same corridor with a different departure pattern and calls at Banihal and Katra.

Indian Railways expanded the corridor’s original eight-coach Vande Bharat formation to 20 coaches, more than doubling seating capacity. The through service also removed the former need to change trains at Katra for passengers travelling between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar.

Station totals show the wider service base

The parliamentary reply puts the current service totals at 114 trains for Jammu Tawi, 46 for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and 19 for Budgam.

The ministry said further train introductions remain subject to line capacity, available paths, rolling stock, supporting infrastructure, maintenance requirements, passenger occupancy and traffic demand.

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