Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 24: The Jammu Division of Northern Railway has announced a major change in the route of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Amritsar Vande Bharat Express, which is set to resume operation soon.
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This premium train ( No. 26406/26405), will now operate via Gurdaspur and Batala, instead of via Jalandhar City.
A glance at the timetable for the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Amritsar Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26406) reveals that the train will depart from SMVD Katra at 06:40 AM and arrive in Amritsar at 11:40 AM on the same day.
On its return journey, the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26405) will depart from Amritsar at 04:40 PM (16:40 hrs) and reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 09:45 PM (21:45 hrs) on the same day.
Along its route, the train will continue to make scheduled stops-in both the up and down directions-at the railway stations of Jammu, Pathankot Cantt, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Batala.
This route change will facilitate passengers traveling between Amritsar and Jammu with faster, more comfortable, and direct connectivity, while simultaneously reducing the longer travel distance previously incurred via the Jalandhar route. Further, this change will extend the service of a modern train like the Vande Bharat Express to the regions of Batala and Gurdaspur, thereby benefiting both pilgrims and local residents.
Commenting on the matter, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal said that the decision has been taken with the aim of directly benefiting premium-class passengers and making their travel experience even more convenient. “Our objective is to provide passengers with a safe and world-class travel experience in the shortest possible time,” he added.
Meanwhile, in a related development, changes have also been made to the scheduled halts of Sabarmati -Jammu Tawi Express (Train No. 19223/19224). Going forward, this train will stop at Pathankot Cantt instead of Pathankot City.
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