Special trains to ferry stranded passengers from Jammu, 46 trains cancelled
Jammu, Aug 30: The Northern Railways will run two special trains from the Jammu station for onward destinations on Saturday to ferry stranded passengers, while 46 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu, Katra and Udhampur railway stations stand cancelled, officials said.
The Railway Police and civil administration have established a dedicated help desk at the Jammu railway station to assist stranded passengers.
"To facilitate the movement of stranded passengers, the railways have decided to run two reserved special trains from Jammu today," PRO Railways, Jammu division, said.
He informed that the first train, Jammu Tawi–Dr Ambedkar Nagar reserved special, will depart at 3 pm, while another train, Jammu Tawi–Chhapra reserved special, will depart at 5 pm.
The first train has 700 reserved seats vacant, while the second has 900 reserved seats vacant.
On Thursday, Northern Railways operated two special unreserved trains from Jammu station, carrying around 3,000 stranded passengers to their destinations following unprecedented monsoon havoc in the Union Territory.
Referring to multiple queries about the status of Katra–Srinagar–Katra Vande Bharat trains, the PRO said that services are normal on this route.
"Passengers stranded due to landslides and cloudbursts can use these services between Katra–Srinagar–Katra," he said.
Scores of people, especially pilgrims, were stranded as heavy rains lashed the Jammu region since August 26, severely disrupting rail and road traffic. A landslide that struck near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra claimed 34 lives. The Jammu region recorded its heaviest rainfall since 1910, at 380 mm by Wednesday.
The Northern Railways has cancelled 46 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu, Katra and Udhampur railway stations on Saturday.
Train traffic has remained suspended for the past five days following heavy rains and flash floods in the Jammu region on Tuesday.
With suspension of rail traffic between Kathua and Udhampur due to misalignment and breaches at multiple locations, trains are being cancelled, an official said.
A list of cancelled trains released by the PRO, Railways Jammu division, also includes five trains with short-origin and short-termination arrangements.
