J&K, Feb 25 : The Indian Railway Board on Tuesday night suspended its earlier decision to extend the Vande Bharat Express service from Srinagar to Jammu Tawi, just hours after announcing the expansion would take effect from March 1.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said the notification regarding the extension has been placed on hold due to unavoidable circumstances. He added that updated information would be shared once further directions are received and expressed regret over the inconvenience caused.
Earlier in the evening, Northern Railways had confirmed that the premium train, currently operating between Srinagar and Katra, would be extended to Jammu Tawi, ensuring direct rail connectivity between the twin capitals of Jammu and Kashmir.
The service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6 following the completion of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which established all-weather rail access to the Kashmir Valley. Officials had proposed upgrading the existing eight-coach rake to a 20-coach configuration for the extended route.