Sabarmati–Katra train extension: timings and start dates

Passengers on the Sabarmati–Jammu Tawi Express can now stay on the train all the way to Katra. The extended service began on October 18, connecting this daily train directly to the base town for the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage.

The Indian Express reported that train 19223 left Sabarmati on Sunday morning and was due to reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra station at 6:55 pm on Monday. Previously, this service ended at Jammu Tawi, leaving Katra-bound passengers to arrange an onward connection.

Western Railway’s schedule, reported by Financial Express when the extension was announced in August, sets the daily Sabarmati departure at 10:25 am. The scheduled journey to Katra takes about 32-and-a-half hours and arrives the following evening.

In the other direction, train 19224 is scheduled to begin its extended run from Katra on October 20. It will leave at 4:50 am and reach Sabarmati at 2:05 pm the next day. The start dates differ, so the return extension does not begin on the same day as the outward service.

The extension adds stops at Samba and Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan station in Udhampur in both directions. The Katra-bound 19223 also stops at Bari Brahman, according to Western Railway’s announced timetable.

This is an extension of an existing train, not a claim that Gujarat had no direct rail connection to Katra before Sunday. The useful change is specific: passengers choosing this Sabarmati service no longer need to end their rail journey at Jammu Tawi before continuing towards the shrine’s base town.