Delhi-Katra travel time to reduce by 4 hrs; Vande Bharat Express starts from August

The second Vande Bharat Express, which will run on the Delhi-Katra route, is expected to commence operations in August, significantly reducing travel time between the two destinations by four hours. In a bid to capitalise on the high-traffic volume due to the Vaishno Devi temple pilgrimage, the train will run three days a week, every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, which may later be extended up to five. It will leave Delhi at 6:00 am and reach Katra at 2:00 pm; on its return journey, it will leave Katra the same day at 3:00 pm and reach Delhi at 11:00 pm. The train will make short, two-minute stops at Ambala, Ludhiana, and Jammu Tawi before reaching Katra. Train 18 or Vande Bharat Express is also expected to have more space for passengers as well as food storage than its earlier version, which began operating between Delhi and Varanasi in February this year.