Jammu, Oct 17: The Ministry of Railways has approved the extension of Sabarmati BG–Jammu Tawi Express to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, with the extended service commencing from Sabarmati on October 18 and from Katra on October 20, an official said on Saturday.
The extension will add another train service to Katra, the base camp for pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, and provide an additional travel option for passengers from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab along the route, a Northern Railway Jammu Division spokesperson said.
He said the railways has also approved additional halts for the train at Samba, Bari Brahmana and Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan railway stations in the Jammu region.
The new stoppages are expected to benefit local residents, students, traders, industrial workers and military personnel, particularly those associated with the Bari Brahmana industrial area, the spokesman said.
He said the daily service will connect Katra with Sabarmati and major stations along the route, including Bathinda, Firozpur, Jalandhar and Pathankot. The extension is expected to support religious tourism, facilitate passenger movement and provide a boost to trade and employment in the region.
As per the announced schedule, train number 19223 will depart from Sabarmati at 10:25 am and reach Jammu Tawi at 3:35 pm on the second day, before arriving at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 6:55 pm. On the return journey, train number 19224 will depart from Katra at 4:50 am and reach Jammu Tawi at 7:40 am.
