Vande Bharat Express completes first trial run crossing the world’s highest railway bridge in Reasi.

Years of hard work and dedication, and some engineering marvels later, the dream of Kashmir’s rail connectivity finally came true as a specially-designed Vande Bharat Express train arrived here on Saturday, completing its trial run.

The train, on its maiden trial run, arrived at the Srinagar station in the Nowgam area on the city outskirts from Katra in Jammu.

It had reached Jammu on Friday.

As the Vande Bharat Express reached the station at 11:30 am, it was welcomed with slogans and praises for the Indian Railways.

A large number of people and railway officials were waiting for the train since the morning, many of them carrying garlands to welcome the officials on board the train.

After a brief half at the station here, the train moved to the Budgam station to complete its trial run.

“The first trial run of the Vande Bharat between Katra and Kashmir was completed successfully,” an official said.

The train is specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging winter conditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the train from Katra, as the commissioner of railway safety has given the green signal for running the train service on the Katra-Baramulla section. The date of the flagging-off ceremony is yet to be announced.

The railways has completed 272 kilometres of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.

According to railway officials, the Railway Board, on June 8 last year, unveiled a Vande Bharat Express train specially designed to operate seamlessly in Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging winter conditions for the upcoming Katra-Srinagar rail route. The train incorporates special climate-related features.

Compared to the other 136 Vande Bharat Express trains running in different parts of the country, this train has several additional features to meet operational challenges and passengers’ needs in the extreme weather conditions of Jammu and Kashmir.

It includes advanced heating systems that prevent the freezing of water and bio-toilet tanks, provide warm air for the vacuum system and ensure optimal functioning of the air-brake system for smooth operations even in sub-zero temperatures.

The train also features embedded heating elements in the windshield to automatically defrost the driver’s front lookout glass, ensuring clear visibility in harsh winter conditions.

In addition to these climate-related features, it includes all other amenities of the existing Vande Bharat trains—fully air-conditioned coaches, automatic plug doors, mobile charging sockets and the likes.

By enhancing the Kashmir valley’s connectivity to the national railway network, this train symbolises India’s commitment to bridging geographical and economic gaps, the officials said.

The approval by the commissioner of railway safety marks a significant step towards completing the 272-km USBRL project, which aims at connecting the Kashmir valley to the broader Indian Railway network.

Over the last month, the Indian Railways has conducted six trial runs on various sections of the track, including crucial milestones such as the country’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, the Anji Khad bridge, and the iconic arch bridge over the Chenab river at Kauri.

The Anji Khad bridge, a critical part of the USBRL project, is an engineering achievement, featuring a single pylon rising 331 metres above the river bed. The pylon, which took several years to complete, now rises 191 metres above its foundation level.

With a total length of 473.25 metres, the Anji Khad bridge is one of the two highest railway bridges in the world, alongside the Chenab bridge at Kauri, which holds the title of the world’s highest railway bridge at 359 metres above the river bed, 35 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris.