66 Vande Bharat Express have been inaugurated in India from February 2019 to September 2024. Connecting most parts nationwide, these semi-high-speed trains enhanced travel experiences conveniently. India’s second Vande Bharat Express introduced to operate between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway stations has been cancelled for a definite period. Here’s why.
Indian Railways Cancelled Vande Bharat Express Between New Delhi & Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra
This train is one of the prominent railway connections between Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir, transporting many passengers to their destinations on operational days. Indian Railways decided to pause all operations of this express train for 50 days. From January 16 to March 6, 2025, 22439/22440 New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express operations have been cancelled.
According to a report by ET Now, the train operations have been stopped because of pre-non-interlocking/ non-interlocking work. This work is conducted in the Jammu yard along with the Jammu station redevelopment work. Passengers travel on 22439/22440 New Delhi- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Vande Bharat Express to cover a journey of 655 km in around 8 hours and 5 minutes.
This semi-high-speed train is operational six days a week except on Wednesdays. Many devotees heading to the sacred shrine in Katra prefer travelling on this Vande Bharat Express for multiple reasons such as faster travel duration, comfortable experience, ticket price, and enhanced services. The train journey commences at 6 AM from New Delhi Railway Station and reaches its destinations at 2:05 PM. While returning, the journey starts at 2:55 PM and reaches New Delhi at 11 PM.
Meanwhile, Currently, two Vande Bharat Express trains operate between Delhi and Katra. The first one is the 22439/22440 New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, and the second is the 22477/22478 Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat Express, which will continue to run as scheduled.
