Vande Bharat crosses Chenab, Anji bridges at 100 kmph as Katra-Banihal train speed limit raised

A view of Vande Bharat train passing through Anji Khad Bridge, India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge, in Reasi. File | Photo Credit: ANI

A Vande Bharat Express crossed the world's highest railway bridge over the Chenab River and India's first cable-stayed railway bridge at Anji at 100 kmph, as the maximum permissible speed on the 111-km-long Katra-Banihal broad-gauge rail section was raised to 100 kmph, officials said.

The speed enhancement on the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section under the Jammu division of Northern Railway was successfully tested on Thursday (October 1, 2026) , marking a significant operational milestone for the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project.

"The maximum permissible speed on the 111-km-long Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section has been increased from 75 kmph to 100 kmph," senior divisional commercial manager Uchit Singhal said.

He said the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) created a new record by crossing both the world's highest Chenab Bridge and India's first cable-stayed Anji Bridge at 100 kmph.