Vande Bharat Express crosses Chenab and Anji bridges at 100 kmph

According to a report by The Hindu, after the maximum permissible speed on the 111-kilometre-long Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal broad-gauge rail section under the Jammu division of Northern Railway in Jammu was increased to 100 kmph, the Vande Bharat Express crossed the world's highest Chenab railway bridge and India's first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji at a speed of 100 kmph, officials said. The successful trial to increase this speed was conducted on Thursday (1 October 2026), marking a significant operational milestone for the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

Northern Railway's Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal stated that the maximum permissible speed on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph. He added that the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) set a new record by crossing both the world's highest Chenab bridge and India's first cable-stayed Anji bridge at a speed of 100 kmph. The 111-kilometre-long Katra-Banihal section is a crucial and technically challenging component of the USBRL project, which aims to provide seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country.

The Ministry of Railways granted approval to increase the maximum permissible speed to 100 kmph in August this year after the railway complied with all prescribed safety conditions, officials said. Previously, trains were permitted to run at a maximum speed of 85 kmph on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal section. This increase in approved speed is expected to streamline train operations on the USBRL project, reduce travel time, and provide passengers with a faster, safer, and more comfortable journey.

With this speed increase, the travel time between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal is also expected to decrease, providing faster and more comfortable rail connectivity in the region. The Katra-Banihal section passes through some of the most difficult and rugged terrain of the Pir Panjal and lower Himalayan mountain ranges, involving deep valleys, steep mountain slopes, major rivers, and highly complex geological formations. Therefore, the construction of this railway line required the extensive use of advanced engineering techniques, including long tunnels, high bridges, and state-of-the-art railway infrastructure, officials said.

This section features some of the country's most iconic and challenging engineering structures, including the Chenab railway bridge, the world's highest railway bridge built over the Chenab river near Reasi, and the Anji Khad railway bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge. Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the Katra-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra on 6 June 2025.