Katra-Banihal rail section cleared for 100 kmph as Vande Bharat crosses the Chenab and Anji bridges

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Katra-Banihal rail section cleared for 100 kmph as Vande Bharat crosses the Chenab and Anji bridges

2 October 2026

Indian Railways has raised the maximum permissible speed on the 111-km Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Banihal section to 100 kmph, officials said.
Earlier, trains were permitted up to 85 kmph on the Katra-Sangaldan section and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal section.
The Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 26401/26404) crossed the Chenab Bridge, the world's highest railway bridge, and the Anji Bridge, India's first cable-stayed railway bridge, at 100 kmph.
The section, in the Jammu division of Northern Railway, is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
The Railway Ministry approved the increase after the prescribed safety conditions were complied with in August.

Section length: 111 km Earlier speed limit: 85 kmph (Katra-Sangaldan); 75 kmph (Sangaldan-Banihal) New speed limit: 100 kmph Train: Vande Bharat Express (26401/26404)

Why it matters for exams: USBRL, the Chenab Bridge and Kashmir's rail link are staple infrastructure questions in UPSC, SSC and PSC papers.

Kerala PSCUPSCSSC

2 October 2026 Source: The Hindu (PTI)

In plain words

USBRL Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link — The rail project that connects the Kashmir Valley to the national rail network.

Cable-stayed bridge — A bridge whose deck is held up by cables fixed directly to one or more towers.