Clamour grows for Vande Bharat train halt at Anantnag

Srinagar, May 2: Demand is mounting for the Jammu–Srinagar Vande Bharat Express to halt at Anantnag district in south Kashmir after authorities skipped the station while finalising stopovers. .

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced Udhampur as a halt, but the long-pending demand to include Anantnag remains unaddressed.

The Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), J&K, welcomed the launch of the Vande Bharat service between Jammu and Srinagar but urged authorities to add the station.

“By excluding Anantnag, passengers from Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and parts of Pulwama are forced into avoidable travel to Srinagar and back,” the group said.

“We will continue to take up the issue and approach the Union Railway Ministry if needed,” said Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, a former bureaucrat and GCC member.

Lateef-uz-Zaman Deva, also a former bureaucrat and GCC member, said, “We have already raised the matter with the Chief Secretary and Railway Authorities in Jammu.””

Traders also backed the demand.

 “A strong and united voice has emerged across south Kashmir,” said Hakeem Sajad Ahmad Shah, chairman of the Traders and Manufacturers Federation, Anantnag.

“A halt at Anantnag will improve connectivity, promote tourism and ease travel for patients, students and traders,” Shah said. “Anantnag, being a major commercial centre, deserves due consideration.”

Member of Parliament (MP) for Anantnag-Rajouri, MianAltaf, had written to the Railways before and after the service launch.

“Providing a stoppage at Anantnag would ensure equitable access to premium rail services for south Kashmir, which has a larger catchment area,” he said.

The Katra–Srinagar service was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 6, 2025.

Banihal was initially the only halt on the Kashmir side, with Reasi added later.

Senior Congress leader and Dooru legislator Ghulam Ahmad Mir has also sought a stop in Anantnag. “The absence of a halt is affecting a large population, including students, traders, employees, tourists and patients,” he said in a letter addressed to the Union Railway Minister.

“Anantnag serves as a commercial and tourism hub and a gateway to Pahalgam, Verinag, Daksum and Kokernag,” Mir said.

 “A stoppage would ensure balanced regional access, ease pressure on nearby stations and support local trade.”

According to Northern Railway, the train runs from Jammu Tawi to Srinagar with stops at Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan station, Udhampur; Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra; Reasi; and Banihal before terminating at Srinagar.

The Jammu-Srinagar route spans about 267 km and includes 27 stations- 15 in the Jammu region and 12 in the Kashmir Valley.

The distance from Jammu to Banihal is about 189 km, while the Banihal–Srinagar stretch covers around 78 km without any halt.

Anantnag, the largest station between Banihal and Srinagar, serves the south Kashmir districts including Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and parts of Pulwama.

It is also a gateway to tourist destinations such as- Pahalgam and lies on the route of the AmarnathYatra.

The Jammu–Srinagar Vande Bharat service- is seen as a major boost to connectivity in Jammu and Kashmir. Freight trains are already operating regularly- on the corridor.