Jammu, May 2: Regular commercial service of much-awaited ‘Vande Bharat Express’ between Jammu and Srinagar, as per anticipation, evoked an overwhelming response as it recorded 70 percent occupancy rate on its day one on Saturday.
Two days after its formal flagging-off by the Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw, this state-of-the-art train commenced its regular run today, May 2, 2025.
“On its very first day, Vande Bharat Express service, with a total capacity of around 5600, ferried around 4000 passengers between two capital cities of J&K. 1935 passengers travelled from Jammu to the summer capital (Srinagar) while 1990 arrived in the winter capital (Jammu) from Srinagar,” Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Railway Division UchitSinghal stated.
“This advanced high-speed train covers the distance between Jammu and Srinagar in just 4 hours and 45 minutes, resulting in significant time savings for passengers,” he said.
With regard to the regular run of Jammu-Srinagar service, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) Jammu Division stated, “This train is now operating with 20 coaches. Previously, the 8-coach train had a seating capacity of approximately 530 passengers. However, two pairs of 20-coach trains will now run on this route, enabling approximately 2,900 passengers to travel daily (from one side). This train will cover the distance between Jammu and Srinagar in a significantly reduced travel time.”
Raghvender Singh, Public Relations Inspector, Jammu Railway Division, while elaborating about the commencement of commercial run of service, said, “Today, May 2, marks the dawn of a new era with the commencement of the Vande Bharat train service from Jammu to Srinagar—a monumental triumph for modern rail travel and the ‘Make in India’ initiative. A new golden chapter has been added to the history of the Jammu Railway Division today.”
He informed, “The country’s first Vande Bharat Express service operating between Jammu and Srinagar (train numbers 26401 and 26403) successfully completed its inaugural commercial run with an occupancy rate of approximately 70 percent.”
According to Singh, on its very first day, train number 26401 carried approximately 940 passengers from Jammu to Srinagar while the second Vande Bharat Express (train number 26403) successfully completed its journey from Jammu to Srinagar with 995 passengers on board.
On the return leg, the train numbers 26404 and 26402 carried over 1,990 passengers from Srinagar to Jammu, who thoroughly enjoyed their journey.
“This train is set to prove itself as a milestone—not only for its speed and amenities but also for its capacity to provide an all-weather rail link connecting the Kashmir valley to the rest of India,” Singh said.
Vaishnaw had flagged off extended Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express service from Jammu Railway Station on April 30, 2026 in the presence of the Union Minister in PMO DrJitendra Singh; Chief Minister Omar Abdullah; MPs Sat Paul Sharma and Gulam Ali Khatana besides other dignitaries.
“On its inaugural day, approximately 70 percent of the seats were booked, underscoring the immense popularity and trust this service enjoys among passengers,” Singh said.
This Vande Bharat train is equipped with ‘winterisation’ technology, enabling it to operate smoothly even in sub-zero temperatures and heavy snowfall. It features special ‘heating cables’ to prevent pipelines from freezing, as well as 1800W silicon heating pads installed in the water tanks.
“As part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, this train – while traversing the world’s highest Chenab Railway Bridge – will elevate the tourism and economy of the Valley to new heights,” Singh said.
