It mainly serves for the town of Katra where the major hindu divine temple Shri Mata Vaishno Devi is situated which is visited by millions of travellers per month with the help of this station and its frequent special trains connectivity from all over India.

The rail link was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 July 2014 at 10:00 A.M.

This means that Katra is currently the northern terminus of the southern section of the Jammu–Baramulla line as well as the northernmost place accessible on the contiguous network of Indian Railways[1][2][3][4] A 1 megawatt solar power plant was commissioned at the station in March 2015.

[5] The ground floor of Katra railway station has escalators, lifts, current reservation, second class booking, train enquiry section, pilgrim guide, tourist assistance, VIP lounge, a fully air-conditioned hotel with a shopping lounge, multi-cuisine restaurant, cloak room, waiting hall, a book stall, tea stall, toilet blocks, and catering area.

[6] A huge parking place has also been constructed to accommodate cars and passenger buses.