Northern Railways announces 3-day special Vande Bharat service between New Delhi and Udhampur amid flight cancellations

Jammu, Dec 09 (KINS): Amid widespread flight cancellations at Jammu and Srinagar airports, the Jammu division of Northern Railways on Tuesday announced a special Vande Bharat train service between New Delhi and Udhampur from December 12 to 14 to assist stranded passengers.

Over the past several days, chaos erupted at both airports after numerous IndiGo flights were cancelled, leaving hundreds of travellers stuck and prompting protests. To ease the situation, the railway authorities have introduced additional train services.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal said the special trains are being run to ensure the safety and convenience of passengers during emergency situations.

“Due to the rising number of stranded passengers following frequent flight cancellations, we have decided to operate a special Vande Bharat service between New Delhi and Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan Station (Udhampur),” Singhal said.

The special services — Train No. 02439 (New Delhi–Udhampur Vande Bharat) and Train No. 02440 (Udhampur–New Delhi Vande Bharat) — will make three trips in each direction over the three days.

“This will ensure passengers reach their destinations on time and their travel plans remain undisturbed,” he added.

Train Schedule: 02439 New Delhi–Udhampur: Departs at 6:00 am, arrives at 2:00 pm, with halts at Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu Tawi, and other stations. 02440 Udhampur–New Delhi: Departs at 3:00 pm, arrives at 11:00 pm.

The special Vande Bharat will run with 20 coaches, offering sufficient capacity to accommodate additional passengers.

Authorities have advised travellers to verify timings and updates through the official Indian Railways website or the NTES app before starting their journey.(KINS)