When people say "Kashmir is the paradise on Earth," they don’t lie. Among India's most picturesque hill stations, Kashmir ranks first. Those who have visited know that to reach Kashmir, you must first travel to Jammu; however, the car ride from Jammu to Kashmir takes up to eight hours due to the steep bank turns.
This issue is resolved with the new train connectivity. The newly built train link is both an engineering marvel and a way to travel scenically, cutting the journey time in half. This post describes my experience travelling on the Srinagar Vande Bharat Express from Jammu to Kashmir.
Arriving at Jammu
After a 26-hour train ride, I stepped off on Platform 3 at Jammu Tawi station. I expected Jammu to be cool enough to relieve me of the scorching heat of Northern India, but that place had the opposite to offer.
The heat wasn't enough to take the anticipation out of my mind. I knew that I was going to experience something extraordinary that day. It was a journey on board the Srinagar Vande Bharat.
It was still two hours before the train left the station. We had plenty of time to replenish ourselves. So I walked around the station. I was still in a terrible mood after seeing how inadequate the infrastructure was at such a large station.
Check-In for Vande Bharat
Fast forward to around 1 o’clock, where we had to line up for a check-in for Vande Bharat. This was where my mood changed all of a sudden - I found things way beyond my expectations. A dedicated lift, concourse, and platforms, exclusive to Vande Bharat passengers!
This wasn’t the only thing that wowed me. We made our way to Vande Bharat Platform 7. As per what I usually do, I read the coach signs and made my way to where our allotted coach number was being displayed.
The Train Arrives
I was walking by the platform edge. In a moment, in front of me was the shiny orange-grey Vande Bharat Express, slowly approaching the platform. All passengers standing at the platform were amazed to see the train. I could hear gossip and saw people taking selfies.
It took a long time for the entire train to align at the platform. The mechanical sounds of the A/Cs, the pantograph and other systems could be heard. The doors opened shortly for the passengers inside the train, and closed for maintenance. I was waiting eagerly for the doors to open again.
An addition to my amazement was the presence of so many military & police officers, both outside and inside the train.
Boarding the Train
The doors finally opened, and the crowd began to board the train. The moment I stepped in and saw the interior - I was awestruck. The blue seats. The information displays. The clean & advanced toilets.
We navigated our way to our allotted seats. I finally sat down. The seats were well-padded and comfy. It had been a long while since I last travelled in a chair-car train.
The Journey Starts
In about 20 minutes, the train departed the station. On the 4-hour journey, the Vande Bharat would call at MCTM Udhampur, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Banihal and Srinagar.
I knew that on the way there would be two tall bridges, and ethereal views of snow-covered mountains. All of that would come soon.
It was not long till the train quickly accelerated to 75 km/h. Everyone was impressed by the train’s quick acceleration. We entered a tunnel. It felt like the train was climbing. The moment the train exited the tunnel, we saw that the train was climbing through the hills towards the North.
The railroad for our train had been constructed like normal mountain roads.
The staff started serving food. It was hot, but not very tasty. After all, you can’t really expect much from a train.
SMVD Katra
Anji Khad Bridge
In a short while, the announcement speakers went “Dear Passengers, we are about to approach the Anji Khad Bridge…” As soon as they played the announcement, everyone’s phones came out. I could see everyone’s excitement to see the highest cable bridge in India. All of them had aligned their phones on the windows.
The train left the tunnel, and we were crossing the Anji Khad Bridge. First I noticed the thick coiled cords. Then I noticed a very deep valley down there. That was wonderful. The train entered another tunnel. But the true anticipation hadn’t faded away so quickly. We knew we would be crossing a bridge taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Chenab River Bridge
In a short moment, the announcement speakers went, “Dear passengers, we are about to approach the Chenab Bridge…”
The excitement was the highest this time. Phones came out once again, and as soon as we started passing over the bridge, I could hear many “wow”s. It was a lot deeper this time. Imagine viewing the ground from the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was the Chenab River.
Till here, everything was just aesthetics and engineering. The real scenic ride had to start here onwards.
We arrived at Banihal station. The surroundings were rather green there. After departing Banhial, I saw a completely different environment.
Arriving in Kashmir
After my comfortable 4 hours on the Vande Bharat, our train finally pulled into Platform 3 at Srinagar station. The station platform was open, and airy. I could feel the cold breeze the moment I stepped down. Snow mountains and grasslands everywhere around, a warm sunset. It was a mesmerizing experience.
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