The upcoming Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express, which will run on one of the most anticipated rail routes of the Indian Railways, will bring the Jammu and Kashmir regions closer. The train will run on the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), sections of which is under construction. The route will feature some record-breaking infrastructure projects on the route, including the world’s highest rail bridge over river Chenab and also the longest tunnel. However, the challenges on the route are not limited to just extreme terrain.

Extreme climate is also a big challenge for the Indian Railways, and will pose a problem once the Jammu-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express becomes a reality. To counter the exterme weather conditions so that the Indian Railways can establish fast connectivity between major cities, the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai is working on special Vande Bharat Express trains, that can sustain the sub-zero climate in the region. 

Specially Designed Vande Bharat Express

As per a media report, ICF has announced its plans to introduce Vande Bharat trains equipped with special facilities that will incorporate heating provisions within their compartments. There will be specialised pipes designed to avert the freezing and potential breakage of water lines. This initiative is part of ICF’s strategy to design and manufacture various versions of the Vande Bharat trains.

Vande Bharat train maintenance facility is being created at Badgam so that once the railway line becomes operational, Vande Bharat trains will come to Srinagar, recently Ashwini Vaishnaw sai. He further said Vande Bharat trains will run on new USBRL on the route almost in the “first go”.

Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project

The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project is a critical railway line being constructed by the Indian Railways, to link Kashmir Valley from the rest of India. While the train already runs till Udhampur, it’s the last point in J&K till which a train can go from the rest of India. On the other hand, the Kashmir Valley has a functional 118 km Banihal-Baramula railway line.

The Indian Railways is working to join the Udhampur section with Baramula section, by constructing 114 km long Udhampur-Banihal link, which will consist the highest railway bridge in the world, the Chenab Bridge. “We are targeting that until December or January, Jammu-Srinagar connectivity is completed,” Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

“Once the Kashmir Valley will be connected with the Indian railway network, it will make the Jammu to Srinagar journey faster and more comfortable for passengers. Jammu to Srinagar journey by new railway link is expected to take 3.5 hours,” Vaishnaw said, adding that Vande Metro service will run between Srinagar and Jammu cities, in which the trains will be run at a specific frequency, reported PTI.