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Jammu & Kashmir · Katra

Train tickets to Katra for Vaishno Devi

Katra station — Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra — puts you at the start of the yatra, about 12–13 km below the Bhawan. From Delhi it has two Vande Bharats and the all-AC Shri Shakti Express every day, and there are direct trains from Mumbai, Indore, Kanpur and Ahmedabad. We book the trains for families and groups; yatra registration, ponies and helicopters are through the Shrine Board's own channels.

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Getting there

The railhead for Vaishno Devi

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK)

The yatra base. The walk to the Bhawan is about 12 km from Darshani Deodi (about 13 km from Katra, per the Shrine Board), and an RFID Yatra Access Card is required.

Jammu Tawi (JAT)

About 50 km and two hours by road — the fallback for the Jammu Rajdhani and for trains from Kolkata, Patna and Pune that end at Jammu.

Direct trains

Trains to Vaishno Devi

From Delhi, Katra has some of the best pilgrimage trains in the country — Vande Bharat by day, all-AC overnight.

  • Vande Bharat (two trains)

    New Delhi ↔ Katra

    Executive · AC Chair Car

    Six days a week each — the quickest way from Delhi.

  • Shri Shakti Express

    New Delhi ↔ Katra

    First AC · all AC

    Daily — an overnight all-AC train.

  • Uttar Sampark Kranti

    New Delhi ↔ Katra

    First AC

    Daily.

  • Swaraj Express

    Mumbai Bandra ↔ Katra

    First AC

    Four days a week — the direct train from Mumbai.

  • Malwa Express

    Indore ↔ Katra, via Ujjain, Bhopal and Delhi

    First AC

    Daily — from Indore.

  • Jammu Mail

    Prayagraj ↔ Katra, via Kanpur and Delhi

    First AC

    Daily — from Kanpur and Prayagraj.

  • Jammu Rajdhani

    New Delhi ↔ Jammu Tawi

    First AC · 2A · 3A

    Daily — to Jammu, then road to Katra.

From our desk

Booking a Vaishno Devi yatra

  • Navratri is the peak — Sharad Navratri runs 11–19 October 2026, and Chaitra Navratri around 7–15 April 2027. Railways often adds festival specials to Katra.
  • The monsoon brings landslide risk on the track to the Bhawan — the yatra was suspended for weeks in 2025 — so keep return plans flexible from July to September.
  • There's no train to Katra from Kolkata, Patna, Pune or Hyderabad — we book to Jammu Tawi or connect you at Delhi onto a Vande Bharat.
  • A Vande Bharat links Amritsar and Katra, so the Golden Temple and Vaishno Devi fit into one trip.
For sanghs and families

How we book a yatra group

Families, mandalis, sangats and company groups — the same care whatever the size.

  • Many PNRs, booked together

    Every booking holds up to six travellers — four on Tatkal — so a group is several bookings made together, with families kept side by side wherever the train allows.

  • Elders in the right berth

    First AC and 2A for elders who need comfort and lower berths, 3A and Sleeper where that suits the group. We ask about every traveller's needs before booking.

  • One list on WhatsApp

    Every PNR reaches the organiser on WhatsApp, with a list of who is in which coach and berth — ready to share with the group.

  • Each traveller counts

    Only a confirmed berth counts, passenger by passenger. Anyone left without one gets a 100% refund, even if the others travel.

  • Out, onward and home

    Many yatras link several places. We book every leg — out, between shrines and home — so the whole journey is planned before anyone sets off.

  • Invoices for trusts

    When a trust, mandal or company books, we issue a GST invoice.

Group booking form →

Our promise

Only a confirmed berth counts. RAC doesn't.

App guarantees treat RAC as a success: you share a berth overnight and they pay nothing. We don't. If we can't deliver a confirmed (CNF) berth, you get a 100% refund, no questions asked — usually the same day, and always within 48 hours of asking — or the alternative that suits you better.

Questions

Vaishno Devi by train, answered

Which station is nearest to Vaishno Devi?+

Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK), at the yatra base. The walk to the Bhawan is about 12–13 km. Jammu Tawi, about 50 km away, is the fallback.

Is there a Vande Bharat to Katra?+

Yes — two Vande Bharats run from New Delhi to Katra, six days a week each, in Executive and AC Chair Car.

Can you book the helicopter or a pony?+

No — we book train tickets only. Helicopters, ponies and the Yatra Access Card are through the Shrine Board's official channels; we make sure the trains are confirmed around them.

Is there a direct train from Mumbai?+

Yes — the Swaraj Express from Bandra runs to Katra four days a week, with First AC.

More on these trains

Delhi to Katra trainsKatra Vande BharatBooking from abroad (NRIs)
More yatras

Other pilgrimages we book

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