Jammu, Jul 24: The Northern Railway on Friday operated special trains in the Kashmir valley to ferry more than 1,500 people stranded due to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway following heavy rains.
The strategic Jammu-Srinagar NH remained closed for the third consecutive day on Friday following multiple landslides, shooting stones and road erosion triggered by incessant rain, while the Amarnath, Mata Vaishno Devi, Shiv Khori and Machail pilgrimages remained suspended for the sixth straight day due to inclement weather.
“A special train departed Sangaldan at 1:45 pm, halting at Banihal and Anantnag before reaching Srinagar at 4:40 pm. On its return journey, it left Srinagar at 5 pm, stopped at Banihal and was scheduled to reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 8:15 pm,” a railway official said.
Another train was also extended from Sangaldan to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, they said.
The special train services were introduced after road traffic on the national highway was disrupted due to heavy rains and inclement weather. Northern Railway had operated a similar special train from Srinagar to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra on Thursday as well, they said.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal said passenger safety and convenience remained the railways’ top priority.
“Due to bad weather and the closure of the highway, we took an immediate decision to operate special trains so that passengers do not face inconvenience. We advise passengers to check train schedules through the NTES app, IRCTC website or the 139 helpline before commencing their journey,” he said.
Northern Railway said it would continue to take necessary measures to ensure smooth travel for passengers during weather-related disruptions.–(PTI)
