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Indian Railways completed a successful trial run of the specially designed Vande Bharat Express train for the first time. The hi-tech train, on Saturday, January 25th, covered a route from the railway station of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) to Srinagar. For this, the train had to cross two highly iconic structures built in modern engineering of the rail: Chenab Bridge, the highest rail bridge of the world, and Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.
The trial run of the Vande Bharat Express is a landmark achievement in the ambitious 272-kilometer Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, a transformative initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity to the Kashmir Valley. The successful trial was warmly received, with crowds at Jammu station offering cheers and praises for Indian Railways’ progress. After a brief stopover in Jammu, the train continued its journey to the Budgam station, completing the entire test run without a hitch.
Indian Railways conducted the trial run of the Vande Bharat train from Katra to Srinagar, crossing the world’s highest Chenab Rail Bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Khad Bridge, designed for Kashmir’s cold climate to enhance connectivity and infrastructure.
📷📹… pic.twitter.com/cPa3QokT3n
Advertisement · Scroll to continue— 🇮🇳 Amαr (@Amarrrrz) January 25, 2025
Features and Adaptations for Extreme Conditions
The Vande Bharat Express is one of India’s attempts at modernizing the country’s rail network. However, this one is designed and tailored specifically for Jammu and Kashmir. It boasts features that will best suit the conditions of that particular region—the severe and difficult conditions of winters in the region. The design for the train included state-of-the-art climate adaptation technologies to allow the train to function smoothly in temperatures that are normally found in the mountainous region and even below zero degrees.
Some of the notable improvements include advanced heating systems that prevent water and bio-toilet tanks from freezing, as well as heating elements in the windshield. This ensures that the driver’s front lookout glass remains clear even in freezing conditions. The air-brake system is also equipped with a warm air circulation mechanism to prevent malfunction due to the cold, ensuring a safe and efficient journey through the mountainous terrain of the region. These make this Vande Bharat train stand out from its counterparts in the rest of the country, which, although equally modern and efficient, are not designed to meet such extreme environmental challenges.
#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: Visuals of Vande Bharat train crossing the world's highest railway bridge Chenab Rail Bridge
Indian Railways today started the trial run of the first Vande Bharat train from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Railway Station Katra to Srinagar. The train will also… pic.twitter.com/6IgVfxCgYk
— ANI (@ANI) January 25, 2025
Climate-resilient with modern amenities the Vande Bharat Express caters to several modern amenities on board. With fully air-conditioned coaches and automatic plug doors and mobile charging sockets that have already started gaining popularity with other Vande Bharat trains, especially for the very conditions of the Kashmir valley, Vande Bharat Express is yet another symbol of India’s technological prowess and better regional connectivity.
Indian Railways have connected Kashmir Valley to the Indian subcontinent. The completion of the USBRL project and the introduction of modern rail infrastructure will enhance tourism, reduce travel time, and support the movement of goods and services, contributing to the region’s overall development.
Though the date for the inauguration of commercial operations has not been announced, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, is scheduled to flag off the first commercial journey from Katra.
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