Kashmir guide · Getting there
Delhi to Srinagar by train.
Since June 2025 trains run all the way into the Kashmir valley, but from Delhi you still change once. Here is how the journey works, leg by leg.
Direct from Delhi
Not yet (October 2026)
Change at
Jammu Tawi or Katra
Jammu Tawi to Srinagar
About 4 h 40 min to 4 h 50 min
Katra to Srinagar
About 3 hours
The short answer
There is no direct train yet: change at Jammu Tawi or Katra.
As of October 2026 no single train runs from Delhi to Srinagar. Take a train from Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, then the Vande Bharat Express into the valley: about 4 hours 40 minutes from Jammu Tawi, or about 3 hours from Katra. The two legs make a long day, so many people stop a night in Jammu or Katra. A direct Delhi–Srinagar sleeper train has been discussed since 2024 but has no confirmed start date.
By Shahid Parvez Khan (Local Operations Lead)·Published by Falcon Trails·Updated
How the journey works
Leg 1
Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Katra
The Delhi–Katra Vande Bharat takes about 8 hours. Overnight trains to Jammu Tawi take 8 to 12 hours, and long-distance trains from Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad and Kerala also reach Jammu Tawi and Katra.
Leg 2
Jammu Tawi or Katra to Srinagar
The Vande Bharat Express runs from Jammu Tawi through Katra and Banihal to Srinagar, about 4 hours 40 to 50 minutes from Jammu Tawi and about 3 hours from Katra.
Arrival
Srinagar station
Srinagar station is at Nowgam, on the southern edge of the city. Arrange your cab to Dal Lake or your hotel in advance.
Jammu Tawi–Srinagar Vande Bharat timings
The Vande Bharat into the valley started between Katra and Srinagar on 6 June 2025 and was extended to Jammu Tawi in May 2026. Two trains run each way, each pair on six days a week.
| Train | From | Departs | Arrives Srinagar / Jammu Tawi |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26401 | Jammu Tawi | 06:20 | Srinagar 11:10 |
| 26403 | Jammu Tawi | 13:20 | Srinagar 18:00 |
| 26404 | Srinagar | 08:00 | Jammu Tawi 12:40 |
| 26402 | Srinagar | 14:00 | Jammu Tawi 18:50 |
The line through the mountains
The railway to Srinagar crosses the Pir Panjal through a long series of tunnels and bridges. The best known is the Chenab bridge in Reasi district, a steel arch 359 m above the riverbed and 1,315 m long, the highest railway arch bridge in the world. The line opened to Srinagar when the Prime Minister inaugurated the bridge and flagged off the first Vande Bharat trains on 6 June 2025.
Booking tips
- Book both legs on the IRCTC site. Seats on the Srinagar Vande Bharat can sell out in the holiday season.
- Leave a margin between the two trains. A delay on the Delhi leg should not cost you the Srinagar train; a night in Katra or Jammu is the relaxed way.
- Allow time for security checks at the stations in Jammu and Kashmir.
- Doing Vaishno Devi as well? Take the train to Katra, do the yatra, then the Vande Bharat to Srinagar. See our Vaishno Devi yatra package.
Train or flight?
A Delhi–Srinagar flight is about an hour and a half in the air; by train the trip takes most of a day or a night and a morning. The train makes sense when you are combining Kashmir with Vaishno Devi or Jammu, when you want the mountain crossing for its own sake, or when flights are expensive. For a short trip, fly. Our how to reach Kashmir guide compares air, rail and road.
Editorial & Ground Verification
Verified by local ground planners
Published by Shahid Parvez Khan
Founder & Lead Planner, Falcon Trails · Operating Kashmir mountain routes since 2010 · shahid.co.in
Ground-checked from our operations desk in Barbarshah / Munawara Abad, Srinagar. Mountain pass access, union taxi rates, and hotel heating conditions are verified directly with local drivers and property managers before guest departures.
Ground Dispatch & Preferred Source
Bookmark Falcon Trails for real-time mountain pass advisories (Zojila, Razdan, Sinthan) and weather alerts directly from Srinagar.
Learn more about our team on the About page or contact our desk.
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Questions
What people ask us.
Is there a direct train from Delhi to Srinagar?
Not as of October 2026. Take a train from Delhi to Jammu Tawi or Katra, then the Vande Bharat Express to Srinagar.
How long does Delhi to Srinagar take by train?
About 8 hours from Delhi to Katra on the Vande Bharat, plus about 3 hours from Katra to Srinagar, and the wait between them. Via Jammu Tawi, allow 8 to 12 hours to Jammu and about 4 hours 40 minutes on to Srinagar.
Does the Vande Bharat run from Jammu to Srinagar?
Yes. Since May 2026 the Srinagar Vande Bharat starts from Jammu Tawi, stopping at Katra and Banihal. Two trains run each way.
Where is Srinagar railway station?
At Nowgam, on the southern edge of Srinagar. Plan a cab to Dal Lake or your hotel.
Can we do Vaishno Devi and Kashmir by train?
Yes. Take the train to Katra, do the yatra, then the Vande Bharat to Srinagar, about 3 hours.
Do you book train tickets?
No. Indian Railways lets only authorised agents sell tickets as a business, so you book on IRCTC with your own account. We tell you which trains fit your plan and when booking opens, and meet you at Srinagar station.
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