Hours after announcing the extension of the Vande Bharat Express from Srinagar to Jammu on 1 March, the Railway Board, in a surprise move, took a U-turn and put the decision on hold without assigning any reasons.
The sudden decision to suspend the extension of the premium train has left passengers and stakeholders in suspense, awaiting clarity from railway authorities.
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“Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the notification of Vande Bharat’s extension from 1st March has been put on hold by the Railway Board until further advice,” Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said in a late-night communication on Tuesday, adding that “further information will be shared as and when received. Sorry for the inconvenience caused.”
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Earlier in the evening, Northern Railway had announced that the Vande Bharat Express would be extended up to Jammu Tawi from Katra, enabling direct rail connectivity between the twin capital cities of J&K.
At present, the Vande Bharat Express operates between Srinagar and Katra with an eight-coach rake. Officials had also announced that the extended service between Jammu and Srinagar would run with an upgraded 20-coach rake to carry more passengers.
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