Jammu to Srinagar: train, road, bus or flight?

Compare the options

Train fares: News Arena, 21 Aug 2026. Flight fare: Air India Express, for a flight on 11 Nov 2026, checked on 23 Oct 2026. Taxi: Charzan Holidays (Aug 2024) and Vargis Khan (Nov 2025). Bus: JKRTC’s undated fare list, read 24 Oct 2026; journey time from a travel blog. Details and links below.

By train: the Vande Bharat

Since the line was extended to Jammu Tawi, two pairs of Vande Bharat trains run between Jammu and Srinagar, via Katra and Banihal. Regular services began on 2 May 2026, ETV Bharat reported, and the timetable is as ETV Bharat published it before the launch:

• 26401 leaves Jammu Tawi at 06:20 and reaches Srinagar at 11:10 (not on Tuesdays).
• 26403 leaves Jammu Tawi at 13:20 and reaches Srinagar at 18:00 (not on Wednesdays).

The run takes “around four hours and fifty minutes”, News On Air reported. Book on the IRCTC website or the Rail Connect app; the Srinagar district administration advises booking early, “especially during summer season”. Timings, return trains, fares and stops are in our Vande Bharat guide. For where the trains arrive, see Srinagar railway station.

Coming from Delhi? The connections at Jammu Tawi and Katra, and the days they don’t work, are in Delhi to Kashmir.

By road: NH 44

The Jammu–Srinagar highway is “270 km long”, according to News On Air in 2023, while the Srinagar district site gives 290 km and 6–7 hours. Two tunnels have shortened it:

• Chenani–Nashri tunnel, 9 km, opened on 2 April 2017; PTI reported it cut the distance by 31 km.
• Banihal–Qazigund (Navyug) tunnel, 8.5 km, opened to traffic on a trial basis on 4 August 2021, saving “about 90 minutes and 16km”, according to The Asian Age.

The road closes often. Recent closures:

1. 26 Aug – 10 Sep 2025
   Blocked for 14 days in all, with a brief reopening on 30 August, after heavy rain, flash floods and landslides, including a slide at Thard-Jakheni in Udhampur, PTI reported.
2. 23–25 Jan 2026
   Shut by snow, near the Navyug tunnel according to Skymet; “Hundreds of vehicles are stranded”, PTI reported.
3. 6–7 Apr 2026
   Closed from 6 April and still shut on 7 April in Ramban district, with “more than 400 vehicles” stranded, according to Kashmir Observer.
4. Late Jul 2026
   Three days closed, then a landslide at Dewal in Udhampur left “at least 1,700 trucks” stranded, The Tribune reported.

The Mughal Road: the other route

The Mughal Road is a separate route, not part of NH 44. It crosses the Pir Panjal range between Shopian in the Kashmir valley and Bufliaz in Poonch district, connecting the valley with the Rajouri and Poonch districts. The Poonch district site calls it “an alternate route to Kashmir valley” and puts it at 84 km from Bufliaz to Shopian. Its highest point is Peer Ki Gali, at 3,490 m, according to the Shopian district site. From Shopian to Peer Ki Gali is an estimated 1–1½ hours by road, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 23 October 2026.

The road is named after the Mughal emperors, who “used to visit the valley via this route”, says the Shopian district site; Poonch’s site says its Poonch stretch was the “Namak road” until Jehangir renamed it in the early 17th century.

The Mughal Road “remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall”, News On Air reported on 26 February 2026. In 2026 it reopened on 11 January after seven days closed, then shut again (News On Air; IANS); its 40 km Shopian–Peer Ki Gali stretch was ordered reopened from 27 February, and snow closed it again in March until 22 March, Kashmir Life reported. Check the J&K Traffic Police advisory for the day before you set out.

By bus

JKRTC, the Jammu & Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (formerly JKSRTC), points to starbus.jk.gov.in for online booking and gives a helpline for fares and timings, 9149473175. Its passenger page has a “Rate /Fare List of Tourist Services Division” (undated list, read 24 Oct 2026). For Jammu to Srinagar, non-AC seating, it gives ₹675 by MCV (19 seats) or Hi-Tech (39 seats), ₹550 by Deluxe (A-Class) and ₹397 by Semi-Deluxe; the list may predate the April 2026 fare rise. One travel blog, quoting a 2025 rate list, gave lower fares, ₹445 for the super deluxe bus, ₹321 for deluxe and ₹213 for standard, with a 7 am departure and a journey of 10–11 hours. On 30 April 2026 the J&K government approved an 18% rise in fares for buses, taxis and other public transport, Kashmir Reader and News On Air reported, so fares may now be higher than either list shows.

By taxi

Operators publish their own lists, so compare before you book:

• Charzan Holidays (August 2024): ₹9,500 for a small car, ₹15,000 for an Innova, ₹18,000 for an Innova Crysta and ₹20,000–23,000 for a Tempo Traveller. The list doesn’t say whether these are one-way; its FAQ puts a one-way trip at ₹7,000–10,000.
• Vargis Khan (2026–27 list, November 2025): ₹10,500 from Srinagar to Jammu, or ₹11,200 via the Mughal Road.

More fares from Srinagar are in Srinagar taxi fares.

By air

Flights between Jammu (IXJ) and Srinagar (SXR) take about 45 minutes. A flight-schedule site listed three non-stop flights on 23 October 2026, by IndiGo and Air India Express, and Air India Express showed fares “From ₹3,185” for 11 November 2026. Snow can cancel flights at Srinagar for a day; see the Srinagar airport guide.

Which should you choose?

Jammu to Srinagar questions