Overview
- The reroute took effect on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, and was flagged off by Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu.
- Train numbers 26405/26406 will now halt at Batala Junction, Gurdaspur, Pathankot and Jammu Tawi under the new alignment, replacing the earlier Jalandhar Cantt routing.
- Officials say the change cuts roughly 84 km and trims about 40 minutes from the journey, with the service covering about 285 km in roughly five hours, operating six days a week and charging ₹1,040 for AC Chair Car and ₹1,825 for Executive Chair Car.
- The announcement included a planned ₹62 crore redevelopment of Beas railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to expand platforms and passenger facilities for rising traffic.
- The move forms part of Indian Railways' wider effort to extend semi-high-speed Vande Bharat links to major pilgrimage and tourist corridors and to give direct, faster rail access to the Gurdaspur belt, which could boost pilgrim travel and local economic activity.