New Delhi, May 13 -- The Jammu Tawi-Srinagar Vande Bharat Express has carried nearly 45,000 passengers within the first 10 days of its regular operations, underlining strong demand for the rail service that is rapidly emerging as a major connectivity lifeline for Jammu and Kashmir.

According to data released by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) on Tuesday, the four daily services on the route transported 44,727 passengers between May 2 and May 11, while 28,762 passengers travelled in the maiden week itself till May 8.

The surge in ridership comes less than a year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the historic 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) on June 6, 2025, a landmark infrastructure project that con...