Railways to resume service in Kashmir, trial run conducted

After remaining shut for over three months, the Indian railways have started operations in Kashmir once again, to help the common man commute freely. The shutdown had also resulted in a loss to the railways worth crores of rupees. 

On Monday, in the presence of senior officers from the Indian railways and security forces, a trial run was conducted ahead of resuming the service entirely. Following the abrogation of J&K special status and the situation prevalent on the ground, the Indian railways had shut the rail service. 

"The government had taken certain measures keeping in mind the safety of the common man. For Kashmiris, the train is a lifeline. This is also a cheap medium to travel in less time. Our trains are safe and tracks have no damage," said Sudhir Kumar, a senior railway official. 

Before taking the trial, security agencies in the valley had given a green signal to the resumption of the rail service. The move has been welcomed by the common man as they were finding it hard to commute to their daily work through road. Fifteen pairs of train ferry around 30,000 commuters, six days a week, mostly students and employees between Banihal and Baramulla. 

"The train benefits us in many ways. It saves our time and due to the situation, we were finding it hard to travel. We are happy that the service has been resumed as it saves time," said Ghulam Mustafa, who had come to enquire about the resumption of train service at Srinagar station. 

Currently, the railway service runs from Banihal in Jammu to Baramulla in north Kashmir as the train passes through several sensitive areas. By 2020, the government of India plans to connect Kashmir to Kanyakumari through the train. Home minister Amit Shah had said that the train will help boost tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.