Kalka-Katra train to ply from today

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 29

The Kalka-Katra train that was announced in the Railways Budget two years ago will start plying from May 30.

Northern Railway CPRO Neeraj Sharma confirmed that from Friday the train would ply as the division had got a formal approval from the Northern Railway for it. He said that the train would be inaugurated by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu through a remote control from Kullu at 1.40 pm and the train ply from Kalka station which is a special inaugural train.

As per the railway schedule, the train number 14503 and 14504 will ply bi-weekly on the route. According to the schedule of the Kalka-Katra train, which was part of the train timetable released by The Railways, the journey will be of nine hours and 35 minutes. The trai will depart from Kalka on Tuesdays and Fridays at 7 pm and arrive at Katra the next day at 7.50 am. It will leave from Katra on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9.30 pm and reach Kalka at 4.45 pm.

The 53-km Jammu-Udhampur line is already operational and 25-km stretch between Udhampur and Katra is also completed. This train will be beneficial to those visiting the Vaishno Devi shrine.