Mumbai to Vaishno devi train

I am from Mumbai and my parents, and other family members would like to go to Vaishno Devi. I have been put in charge to organize the travel and require some help.

I need to know in order to get a Mumbai to Vaishno Devi train which train should be chosen, comfort and time wise.

We would ideally like a train which has the least number of stops, because of the movement of passengers during the journey.

 

Hi there, welcome to the forum!

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Overview

The distance between Mumbai and the Vaishno Devi Bhavan in Katra is about 2,065 kilometres. Driving this distance can take around 32 hours, more or less. Train journey is also almost the same, about 33 hours, more or less. Because of this long distance, not too many trains ply this route. You have two options, either reach Katra directly or reach Jammu instead. Both railway stations only have a few direct trains from Mumbai so you don't have as many options.

Train from Mumbai to Katra

Katra has its own railway station, the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station. It is directly connected to Mumbai but only by one train and it doesn't have a daily schedule too. The train departs from the Bandra Terminus at 7:55 and arrives at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 17:10. It only has four schedules in a week, Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday. Below are some of the details about this train.

Mumbai Bandra Terminus to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Train

Train Name and Number	Departure Station - Time	Arrival Station - Time	Journey Duration	Halts	Schedule
Swaraj Express Train No. 12471	Bandra Terminus - 7:55	SVDK - 17:10	33 Hours and 15 Minutes	24	Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday

This is the Swaraj Express Train No. 12471, the only train connecting Mumbai's Bandra Terminus to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. It has a journey duration of 33 hours and 15 minutes, with 24 halts in between. Fares are at Rs. 2,895 for 2AC, Rs. 1,975 for 3AC, Rs. 755 for SL and Rs. 445 for General Quota. From Katra, you can just ride an auto rickshaw or a taxi to reach the main entrance for the Vaishno Devi Bhavan.

Trains from Mumbai to Jammu Tawi + Jammu Tawi to Katra

Another option you have is to reach the Jammu Tawi Railway Station and from there, ride another train to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Bhavan. The Jammu Tawi Railway Station is directly connected to Mumbai too. There are three trains for this route and they depart from the Bandra Terminus as well. These trains don't have daily schedules as well so you have to plan accordingly.

Mumbai Bandra Terminus to Jammu Tawi Trains

Train Name and Number	Departure Station - Time	Arrival Station - Time	Journey Duration	Halts	Schedule
Swaraj Express Train No. 12471	Bandra Terminus - 7:55	Jammu Tawi - 14:40	30 Hours and 45 Minutes	24	Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday
Bandra Terminus Jammu Tawi Special Fare AC Train No. 09021	Bandra Terminus - 5:10	Jammu Tawi - 15:30	34 Hours and 20 Minutes	17	Monday
Mumbai Bandra Jammu Tawi Vivek Express Train No. 19027	Bandra Terminus - 12:15	Jammu Tawi - 1:25	37 Hours and 10 Minutes	31	Saturday

These are the three trains plying between Mumbai and Jammu Tawi. Also included is the Swaraj Express Train No. 12471, although it arrives in Jammu Tawi at around 14:40. Journey duration is around 30 hours and 45 minutes. The Bandra Terminus Jammu Tawi Special Fare AC Train No. 09021 departs at 5:10 from the Bandra Terminus and arrives in Jammu Tawi at around 15:30. Journey duration is around 34 hours and 20 minutes. Lastly, the Mumbai Bandra Jammu Tawi Vivek Express Train No. 19027 departs at 12:15 from the Bandra Terminus and arrives in Jammu Tawi at 1:25. Journey duration is around 37 hours and 10 minutes.

In your case, you can choose the Bandra Terminus Jammu Tawi Special Fare AC Train No. 09021, which has 17 stops, in contrast to the other trains which have more than 20 stops. Once you reach the Jammu Tawi Railway Station, you can ride another train going to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. There are many trains plying this route so you can easily fit one into your schedule. Journey duration is around 2 hours for most trains.

Jammu Tawi to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Trains

Train Name and Number	Departure Station - Time	Arrival Station - Time	Journey Duration	Halts	Schedule
Hemkunt Express Train No. 14609	Jammu Tawi - 4:40	SVDK - 6:30	1 Hour and 50 Minutes	1	Daily
Ahmedabad SVDK Express Train No. 19415	Jammu Tawi - 5:05	SVDK - 7:00	1 Hour and 55 Minutes	1	Tuesday
Uttar Sampark Kranti Express Train No. 12445	Jammu Tawi - 6:45	SVDK - 8:40	1 Hour and 55 Minutes	2	Daily
Swaraj Express Train No. 12471	Bandra Terminus - 14:55	SVDK - 17:10	2 Hours and 15 Minutes	1	Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday
Shri Shakti AC Express Train No. 22461	Jammu Tawi - 3:10	SVDK - 5:10	2 Hours	1	Daily
Kalka SVDK Express Train No. 14503	Jammu Tawi - 2:30	SVDK - 4:35	2 Hours and 5 Minutes	1	Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday

These are some of the trains plying between Jammu Tawi and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. Your best option is the Hemkunt Express Train No. 14609, which has a journey duration of 1 hour and 50 minutes. It has only one stopover between Jammu and Katra too so the train isn't prone to delays or postponements as much. Another good option is the Ahmedabad SVDK Express Train No. 19415, which has a journey duration of 1 hour and 55 minutes. It has one stopover in between Jammu and Katra as well and has no average delay so you can avoid postponements. The Uttar Sampark Kranti Express Train No. 12445 is also a good option as it has a journey duration of 1 hour and 55 minutes. It also has just two stopovers in between but it does have an average delay of 40 minutes. The last three trains have journey durations of more than 2 hours but are still good options since they all have just 1 stop in between.

Conclusion

So you have two options, either reach Katra directly or go to Jammu and from there, ride another train to Katra. The first option is very limited as you can only board one train and it doesn't have daily schedules. It is also the option with lesser journey duration, about 33 hours. The second option is more tiring since you need to change trains but you would have more options when it comes to trains and timings. Journey duration is also a bit longer at about 36 to 40 hours.

I hope this helps you!