The Vande Bharat Express service connecting Jammu Tawi and Srinagar was inaugurated by Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister for Railways, on April 30, 2023. This service, set to begin regular operations on May 2, aims to meet a long-standing demand from the people of Jammu and Kashmir. With the extension of the service, travel time between the two cities will be significantly reduced to four hours and 50 minutes, compared to the previous eight hours by road. The train will operate six days a week, with two pairs of trains running daily, enhancing the region's connectivity. The first train will depart Jammu Tawi at 6:20 AM and arrive in Srinagar at 11:10 AM, making stops at key locations including Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal. The Vande Bharat train is engineered to withstand temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius, ensuring all-weather travel, which is crucial given the frequent disruptions on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway due to landslides and heavy snowfall. This service is part of the broader Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, which aims to fully integrate Kashmir with the rest of India.