# Vande Bharat speed raised to 100 kmph on Katra-Banihal from 2 October 2026-10-01T09:51:32+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Northern Railway has raised the maximum permissible speed on the Katra-Banihal section of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link to 100 kmph, effective from 12 midnight on 2 October 2026. The decision, issued by the Senior Divisional Operations Manager on 30 September, allows Vande Bharat services to operate at the enhanced speed subject to operational conditions. The 111-km section is part of the new broad-gauge link under the Jammu division. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw approved the speed increase on 19 August after the Commissioner of Railway Safety recommended it. Earlier, trains were limited to 85 kmph between Katra and Sangaldan and 75 kmph on the Sangaldan-Banihal stretch. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The speed increase cuts travel time on a critical segment of the Kashmir rail link, making Vande Bharat services more competitive with road transport. The decision follows a CRS inspection and track tests at 110 to 115 kmph, signalling that infrastructure is ready for sustained higher speeds. The next step is operational: whether the enhanced limit translates into punctual daily services without speed restrictions. The order leaves unresolved whether the entire USBRL route will see uniform speed upgrades or remain piecemeal. Any future extension beyond Banihal depends on similar clearance for the remaining tunnel-heavy sections. Passengers and railways will watch for the actual running time from Katra to Banihal once the new limit is in effect from 2 October. ## Coverage - kashmirlife.net Straight reporting of the railway order and sequence of approvals, no editorialising This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ashwini Vaishnaw, Commissioner of Railway Safety, Northern Railway, Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link, Vande Bharat Express Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/vande-bharat-speed-raised-to-100-kmph-on-katra-banihal-from-2-october/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/vande-bharat-speed-raised-to-100-kmph-on-katra-banihal-from-2-october/#story-in-brief How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/