Vande Bharat's Successful Trial Run On World's Highest Rail Bridge

In a boost to Jammu and Kashmir's rail connectivity, India Railways successfully conducted the first trial run of the specially designed Vande Bharat Express train on Saturday. The train, which travelled from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) railway station to Srinagar railway station, passed through the Chenab bridge - the world's highest rail bridge. It also ran through Anji Khad bridge - which is India's first cable-stayed railway bridge.

The train briefly halted at Jammu around 11:30 am where it was welcomed with slogans and praises for the Indian Railways. It then moved to the next Budgam station to complete its trial run.

Commercial operations of the train are set to begin soon, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to flag off the first journey from Katra. The date of the flagging-off ceremony is yet to be announced.

Vande Bharat trains, seen as a 'Make In India' success story by many, have improved safety features like the Kavach technology and state-of-the-art amenities, including accessible toilets for persons with disabilities and integrated Braille signage.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had pointed out earlier that several other nations have expressed their interest in getting semi-high speed Vande Bharat trains from India.