Sajid Raina
Jammu, Dec 26: Northern Railway’s Jammu Division has announced the operation of special reserved trains between New Delhi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to manage the expected surge in passenger traffic during the New Year period, officials said on Friday.
An official informed that the special train services will run from December 27, 2025, to January 1, 2026, keeping in view the heavy rush of pilgrims and tourists travelling to Jammu and Kashmir during the holiday season.
The special reserved train 04081 will operate from New Delhi to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra for five trips between December 27 and December 31. The train will depart from New Delhi at 11:45 pm and reach Katra at 12:00 noon the next day, officials said.
En route, the train will halt at Panipat, Kurukshetra, Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Jalandhar Cantt, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur) stations.
Similarly, the return special reserved train 04082 will run from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to New Delhi for five trips between December 28 and January 1.
The train will depart from Katra at 9:20 pm and arrive in New Delhi at 10:00 am the following day.
On its return journey, the train will stop at Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan (Udhampur), Jammu, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Kurukshetra and Panipat, the officials said.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, said the special train had been introduced to cater to the rising number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir and to meet the travel requirements of local residents during the festive period.
He said the service would help passengers connect with their families and friends to celebrate the New Year while also assisting the railways in managing crowd movement during peak travel days.
The reserved special train will operate with 16 coaches, officials said, adding that tickets can be booked through the official Indian Railways website, mobile application, or authorised ticketing agents.
Passengers have been advised to check train timings and operational details before commencing their journey, as schedules may be subject to operational requirements.
Northern Railway said it continues to operate special trains periodically across the Jammu Division to improve passenger convenience and ensure smoother travel during periods of high demand.
