Helicopter Service At Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Resumes
Helicopter services to the Vaishno Devi shrine resumed on Tuesday after remaining suspended for several days due to inclement weather. The service, which had been affected by continuous rainfall, became operational again as skies cleared in the morning, bringing relief to pilgrims who had been undertaking the journey on foot.
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board said in a post on X, “Jai Mata Di! Helicopter service to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has resumed today after 9 days, ensuring convenient travel for pilgrims.”
Jai Mata Di!
Helicopter service to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine has resumed today after 9 days, ensuring convenient travel for pilgrims. #JaiMataDi #VaishnoDeviJi #HeliServices #PilgrimUpdate #SMVDSBTravelUpdate pic.twitter.com/IGUyhLxGBZ
— Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (@OfficialSMVDSB) August 19, 2025
Amritsar -Vaishno Devi Vande Bharat Express
Meanwhile, in a separate development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 10 inaugurated a new Vande Bharat Express connecting Amritsar to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra.
The train was launched on August 11 and runs under the Northern Railway zone. It departs from Amritsar daily (except Tuesdays) at 4:25 pm, halts for two minutes at Jalandhar at 5:31 pm and reaches Katra at 10 pm. The journey is completed in just 5 hours 35 minutes and offers pilgrims a faster and more comfortable travel option.
The train passes through Amritsar, Beas, Jalandhar City, Pathankot Cantt, Jammu Tawi and finally Katra. It is the first Vande Bharat service connecting Amritsar to Katra, complementing the existing Vande Bharat trains running on the Delhi-Katra and Katra-Srinagar routes.
This luxury train will cover the distance in about 5.5 hours, allowing pilgrims to save a lot of travel time while enjoying modern amenities. Currently, 144 Vande Bharat trains are running across India. The project was launched in 2019 on the New Delhi-Varanasi route and has since expanded to several areas across the country.
Vande Bharat Train
The Vande Bharat train is India’s indigenous semi-high-speed train designed and manufactured under the “Make in India” initiative. The train runs at a speed of up to 160 km/h and can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 52 seconds. The train is equipped with modern facilities like Wi-Fi, GPS-based passenger information system, bio-vacuum toilets and security systems like CCTV and Armor Anti-Collision System.
