Anyone who has stepped off a late train at SMVD Katra hungry will notice the change. Northern Railway's Jammu Division has announced new passenger amenities at the station, the base for Vaishno Devi pilgrims, in what a railway spokesman called the first such expansion since the division was formed in January last year, according to a PTI report of 28 October.
What is new at Katra
- New catering stalls on Platform 1 and Platforms 4/5 for food, snacks and tea.
- A milk booth on Platforms 2/3 selling packed milk, aimed at children, the elderly and sick passengers.
- The station's long-closed refreshment room has been allotted to IRCTC and will run 24x7, serving meals including family thalis.
The water-bottle checks
Railway and IRCTC officials ran inspection drives at Jammu railway station and on trains. On 27 and 28 October they seized 43 boxes of unauthorised, non-standard drinking water. Only Rail Neer and other approved brands may be sold, and surprise inspections will continue at divisional level; vendors who break the rules face legal and departmental action.
What it means for a weekend trip
For a student group heading to Katra on a night train, a refreshment room that stays open all day is the practical gain. The report does not say when the refreshment room opens or what the thali costs, so we are not guessing. For more on getting to Katra, see our weekend checklist from Jammu in our Katra Navratra Festival coverage.
Hero image is a file photo of Jammu Tawi station, not Katra.
Sources: The Kashmir Images (PTI): Jammu Division boosts passenger facilities at SMVD Katra, cracks down on unauthorized water bottles, 28 October 2026.
