In a major relief for pilgrims and rail passengers, the Vande Bharat Express operating between Amritsar and Mata Vaishno Devi Katra is set to resume services from June 16 after remaining suspended for nearly seven months.
The train service, numbered 26405/26406, had been discontinued on November 25 last year due to the construction of a railway bridge between Chak Rakhwal in Jammu and Madhopur in Punjab. With the completion of necessary railway infrastructure works, the train is now ready to return to the tracks with a revised route and schedule.
According to the schedule released by the Ferozepur Railway Division on Thursday, the Vande Bharat Express will now operate via Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot instead of its earlier route through Beas and Jalandhar City. Railway authorities are also planning a special programme to mark the resumption of the service, with political leaders and dignitaries expected to attend.
Under the revised timetable, the Amritsar-Katra Vande Bharat Express (26405) will depart from Amritsar at 4.40 pm and reach Batala at 5.18 pm, Gurdaspur at 5.58 pm, Pathankot at 6.32 pm and Jammu Tawi at 8.03 pm before arriving at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 9.45 pm.
The return service, Katra-Amritsar Vande Bharat Express (26406), will leave Katra at 6.40 am and arrive in Amritsar at 11.40 am.
Railway officials said the train will operate six days a week, remaining off the tracks on Saturdays. Earlier, the train’s non-running day was Tuesday.
The resumption of the Vande Bharat service is expected to significantly benefit devotees travelling to the revered Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, while also improving rail connectivity for passengers in Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot districts, which will now be directly linked to the semi-high-speed train service.
