Vande Bharat crosses Chenab, Anji bridges at 100 kmph as Katra-Banihal train speed limit raised
The Vande Bharat Express has successfully completed a test run at 100 kmph across the Chenab and Anji bridges. This speed increase on the Katra-Banihal section marks a significant milestone for the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link project.
Why it matters
This infrastructure upgrade significantly improves connectivity to the Kashmir Valley, reducing travel time and enhancing the efficiency of a critical, technically challenging rail project.
A Vande Bharat Express crossed the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji at 100 kmph, as the maximum permissible speed on the 111-km-long Katra-Banihal broad-gauge rail section was raised to 100 kmph, officials said.
The speed enhancement on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section under the Jammu division of Northern Railway was successfully tested on Thursday (October 1, 2026) , marking a significant operational milestone for the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.
"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," senior divisional commercial manager Uchit Singhal said.
He said the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) created a new record by crossing both the world's highest Chenab Bridge and India's first cable-stayed Anji Bridge at 100 kmph.
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