Udhampur: In a momentous ceremony filled with excitement, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh flagged off the maiden regular run of the Vande Bharat Express, which now includes stops at Udhampur and Kathua. Both stations are integral parts of Dr Jitendra Singh’s Lok Sabha constituency.
Describing it as a historic decision by the government, Dr Jitendra Singh credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s special attention and priority to the rapid development of the Jammu & Kashmir region. Dr Singh flagged off the train’s first stop from Udhampur Station, travelling to reach Kathua Railway Station, where the train made its inaugural stop.
Addressing the occasion, Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted that this facility fulfills the demand of local people and commuters for a Vande Bharat Train stoppage at Kathua station. He commended the achievement, emphasizing that the entire process of ticketing and halting was completed within a mere one-and-a-half-month period without altering the mandated eight-hour journey time of the Vande Bharat Train.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh thanked him on behalf of the local people for changing the name of Udhampur Railway Station to Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station. He mentioned that it is the first time in the country that a railway station has been named after a martyred soldier. Dr Singh informed that a previous notification had inadvertently dropped the word Udhampur, but it has been rectified, naming the station as Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Railway Station Udhampur.
Dr Jitendra Singh highlighted the uniqueness of the railway route to Jammu & Kashmir, having two Vande Bharat Trains in operation, while many places in the country are yet to avail this state-of-the-art transport facility unveiled in 2015. He noted that the pair of Vande Bharat Trains was sanctioned for J&K after similar trains were dedicated to Varanasi, the Parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Modi.
The Union Minister envisioned that Udhampur, a significant military base in North India, would become a major junction in the future, especially when the Kashmir Valley gets connected to the rest of the country via the train in the next 3-4 months. Both Udhampur and Kathua Railway Stations will hold great significance in the coming decade, according to Dr. Singh.
Sharing the revised time schedule of the two Vande Bharat Trains with stoppages in Udhampur and Kathua, Dr Jitendra Singh stated that it was designed for commuters’ comfort. The revised timings allow travellers from Kathua and Udhampur to have lunch in Delhi, while travellers from Delhi can have dinner at their next destination.
The present departure timing of Train number 22478 from Katra is at 6 am, which has been changed to 5.50 am. The train will reach Udhampur railway station (Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan Station) at 6.14 am and continue its journey at 6.16 am.
As per the revised timings, the train will reach Jammu railway station at 7.10 am, halt for two minutes, reach Kathua at 8.03 am, and resume its journey at 8.05 am towards New Delhi.
Similarly, Train number 22477 from New Delhi will reach Kathua at 8.45 pm, depart at 8.47 pm, reach Jammu station at 9.45 pm, halt for two minutes, reach Udhampur at 10.42 pm, and start at 10.44 pm to reach Katra at 11.15 pm.
Comments are closed.