Jalandhar, Aug 10 (IANS) A new Vande Bharat Express train connecting Amritsar to the holy shrine of Maa Vaishno Devi at Katra will start operating from August 11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the train virtually on Sunday from Bengaluru by waving the green flag online.

The train, numbered 26405/26406, will depart from Amritsar daily (except Tuesdays) at 4:25 p.m. under the Northern Railway zone. It will reach Jalandhar at 5.31 p.m. with a 2-minute halt before arriving at Katra by 10 p.m., completing the journey in just 5 hours and 35 minutes. This fast and comfortable service will provide pilgrims a time-saving and convenient travel option.

The route of the train will cover Amritsar, Beas, Jalandhar City, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu Tawi, and then Katra. This will be the first Vande Bharat service connecting Amritsar to Katra, adding to the existing popular Vande Bharat trains running on the Delhi-Katra and Katra-Srinagar routes.

Ashwani Sharma, the newly appointed working president of BJP in Punjab, who travelled on the train during its trial run, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for launching this service. He said the train will generate great enthusiasm among devotees traveling to Maa Vaishno Devi’s shrine.

A local woman welcomed the launch, saying this is a great start for the elderly in Punjab who travel to religious places mostly for darshan. She noted that the long travel duration and overcrowding in other trains often cause difficulties for senior citizens.

With this luxury Vande Bharat train covering the distance in 5.5 hours, pilgrims will save significant travel time and enjoy a comfortable journey.

Currently, 144 Vande Bharat trains are operational across India. The project was first launched in 2019 between New Delhi and Varanasi and has since expanded to various parts of the country.

Talking to media persons, Ashwani Sharma said: “The Vande Bharat train from Amritsar to Maa Vaishno Devi’s shrine will boost devotion and enthusiasm among pilgrims. We thank PM Modi and Railway Minister Vaishnaw for this facility.”

“This train is a boon for Punjab’s elderly pilgrims who struggle with long and crowded journeys on other trains. The new service will save their time and ensure a comfortable ride,” said a passenger.

–IANS

brt/pgh