The Indian Railways’ decision not to introduce a direct train service between Srinagar and Delhi has dampened excitement surrounding the long-awaited project. The service is expected to launch around Republic Day.
This service follows over two decades of effort by engineers and construction workers to complete the 272-long Udhampur-Baramulla- Srinagar-Railwayline (USBRL).
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Passengers travelling from Srinagar to Delhi will alight at Mata Vaishno Devi Station (MVDS) in Katra, Reasi, for a fresh security check before boarding another train for Delhi.
Similarly, passengers travelling from Delhi to Srinagar will undergo the same process at MVDS, making the Srinagar-Delhi service indirect.
According to railway officials, the requirement for passengers to change trains has been necessitated by security concerns.
The Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express is scheduled to depart Katra at 8:10 am and arrive in Srinagar at 11:20 am. The return service will depart from Srinagar at 12:45 pm reaching Katra by 3:55 pm.
Bashir Ahmad Basheer, Chairman of the Kashmir Valle Fruit Growers And Dealers Union (KVFGADU), a body representing Kashmir’s fruit growers, has expressed disappointment over the arrangement.
“We were excited about the train service, hoping it would address logistical challenges and promote the horticulture industry,’’ he said. “But it is unfortunate that the system has proven to be a joke.”
He said the train service from the Katra-Srinagar route neither benefits passengers from Kashmir to Delhi nor the fruit growers and dealers.
Gowhar Malik, President of the Kashmir Hotel and Restaurant Association(KHARA) hoped the indirect service is a temporary measure.
“Extra effort has to be made to ensure security. This is no rocket science. A direct train service to Kashmir is workable if an effort is made,” he said. “I am sure they don’t want to keep it like this permanently.”
He said there are security checks in place for passengers boarding trains anywhere in India.
“A little extra effort can make the service direct,” he said. He said the people are justified to feel sad about disembarking at Katra to board another train for onward journey.
Tariq Ahmed, a trader from Srinagar, suggested that the decision might be influenced by ongoing agitation in Katra over the proposed ropeway project to the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine (MVSDS).
He said shopkeepers, hoteliers and porters in Katra have opposed the project, fearing it would impact their livelihoods.
“It seems the government has taken this decision in light of the anger in Katra against the ropeway project,” he said. However, he warned that this arrangement would inconvenience passengers travelling between Delhi and Srinagar. “After waiting for more than two decades, it is unfortunate there is still no direct train service between Delhi and Srinagar,” he said.
Political leaders from Kashmir have criticised the move. One leader posted on X, saying, “While we understand the need to secure the train and the passengers, making passengers change trains defeats the very purpose of the line and renders the investment of thousands of crores pointless.” He urged railway authorities to consider alternative security measures that would not compromise travel convenience.
“Check the train passengers in Katra or Jammu, sure, but no change of train will be supported by us,” he said. “Safety must come first, but convenience cannot be ignored.”
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also criticised the decision. “For years, we were told that train services to Kashmir would benefit the common masses and ease travel. This latest directive proves that Kashmiris are far from experiencing travel convenience. The train services, inaugurated amid great fanfare are turning out to be nothing more than a facade,” said PDP general secretary Mohammad Khurshid Alam.