The Sabarmati-Katra Express will provide direct rail connectivity from Gujarat to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, removing the need for passengers to change their mode of transport after reaching Jammu Tawi. The extended service will begin in October, according to details reported by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad based on information released by Western Railway.
Train number 19223, the Sabarmati-Jammu Tawi Express, will be extended to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra from 18 October. It will depart from Sabarmati at 10:25 am and reach Katra at 6:55 pm the following day. The extension will allow passengers from Ahmedabad and other parts of Gujarat to travel directly to the railhead serving the Vaishno Devi pilgrimage destination.
In the return direction, train number 19224 will begin its extended Katra operation from 20 October. The train will depart from Katra at 4:50 am and reach Sabarmati at 2:05 pm the following day, as per the timings reported from the railway details.
The route change addresses a practical gap in the existing journey. Passengers travelling from Gujarat to Vaishno Devi previously reached Jammu Tawi by train and then had to arrange another form of transport to get to Katra. The extension means that this additional transfer will no longer be required for passengers whose journey is booked on the extended service.
Katra is the rail-access point for visitors travelling to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. For passengers, a direct train service can simplify the final part of a long-distance journey by reducing the need to coordinate between railway and road transport at Jammu Tawi. It also creates a clearer rail connection between Gujarat’s major passenger catchments and the pilgrimage destination in Jammu and Kashmir.
The reported schedule involves an overnight journey in each direction. Train 19223 leaves Sabarmati in the late morning and arrives in Katra the next evening, while train 19224 leaves Katra before dawn and arrives in Sabarmati the following afternoon. The source report does not provide details of the number of services per week, the complete station list, fares, coach composition or reservation arrangements.
The extension is therefore significant not only as a pilgrimage travel announcement but also as a change in how passengers from Gujarat connect with a major religious and tourism destination. The next operational milestones are the start of train 19223’s Katra service on 18 October and train 19224’s return service on 20 October.
