Vande Bharat Crosses Chenab Bridge At 100 Kmph As Railways Raise Katra-Banihal Speed Limit

The Railway Ministry approved the speed enhancement after all prescribed safety conditions were complied with by the Railways in August this year, officials said.

The maximum permissible speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal broad-gauge section has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph, marking a significant operational step for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

The speed enhancement was successfully tested on Thursday, with a Vande Bharat Express crossing both the Chenab railway bridge and the Anji Khad railway bridge at 100 kmph.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said, “The maximum permissible speed on the 111-km-long Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph."

According to Singhal, the Vande Bharat Express also created a new record by crossing the world’s highest Chenab Bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Bridge at 100 kmph.

The Railway Ministry approved the speed enhancement after all prescribed safety conditions were complied with by the Railways in August this year, officials said.

Before the latest increase, trains could operate at a maximum speed of 85 kmph on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal section.

Officials said the higher speed is expected to make train operations smoother, reduce travel time and provide faster, safer and more comfortable journeys to passengers.

The Katra-Banihal stretch is a crucial and technically challenging 111-km section of the USBRL project, which aims to provide seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country.

The railway line traverses difficult terrain across the Pir Panjal and lower Himalayan ranges, with deep valleys, steep mountain slopes, major rivers and complex geological formations.

Its construction involved extensive use of advanced engineering techniques, including long tunnels, high-level bridges and sophisticated railway infrastructure. The section has 33 tunnels, along with the Chenab Railway Bridge over the Chenab River near Reasi and the Anji Khad Railway Bridge.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra on June 6, 2025.

With the speed limit now raised to 100 kmph, the Katra-Banihal section is expected to facilitate faster travel and smoother operations on a key stretch of the USBRL project.