Northern Railway announced restoration of operations of Sampark Kranti and Sealdah Express trains besides starting a shuttle service between Jammu and Katra to facilitate the movement of locals and passengers to some extent.
Northern Railway has canceled 68 trains to and from Jammu and Katra stations until September 30, officials said. However, 24 trains are expected to resume service soon. Train services in the Jammu division have been suspended for the past eight days because heavy rains and flash floods damaged and misaligned tracks in several parts of the Pathankot–Jammu route.
The disruption has left many people, including pilgrims, stranded since August 26, when nonstop rain hit the Jammu region. A landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra killed 34 people. By Wednesday, the region had recorded 380 mm of rainfall, its highest since 1910.
To help stranded passengers, officials said special train services are running, including two shuttle trains between Jammu Tawi and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, along with trains from Jammu Tawi to Kolkata and from Katra to New Delhi.
Four trains have been added to the Jammu–Katra route for shuttle services that will run from September 1 to 15, officials said.
The Railways has also restored the Sampark Kranti, Sealdah Express, Kantri Express, Vande Bharat, and Trivandrum Express trains, along with the shuttle services.
“These shuttle trains, operating in two pairs, are helping locals and stranded passengers travel between Jammu and Katra,” the official explained. Trains from Jammu to Kolkata and from Vaishno Devi Katra to New Delhi are also running.
The Vande Bharat service will fully resume from September 7. So far, 5,784 stranded passengers have been transported in seven trains from Jammu to continue their journeys.
