E-Paper
Kashmir train service to resume fully as Covid cases plunge
Train services in the Kashmir valley were also suspended for 11 months from March 19, 2020 owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
Train services on the Budgam-Baramulla railway section of Kashmir will be restored from Wednesday following marked improvement in Covid-19 situation in the valley, officials said. This will make the entire 137 km long Baramulla- Banihal section connecting north and south Kashmir operational.
“The existing train services running between Budgam in central Kashmir to Banihal in south and back are being extended for full run up to Baramulla in north Kashmir and vice versa,” the railways said in a statement.
The Kashmir stretch of the railways is yet to be connected to the rest of the country. The standalone section from Banihal, considered the gateway to Kashmir in the south, to Baramulla in north Kashmir is 137 km long and is very popular among the locals. The train services were suspended from May 10 owing to Covid-19 and were partially resumed from July 01. The full resumption in rail service comes when the valley is mostly registering under 150 daily Covid cases, a big improvement from a high of 3,500 cases daily, registered in May when the second wave had peaked.
Two trains currently starting from Banihal and terminating at Budgam will be extended to Baramulla from Wednesday whereas another train will start from Baramulla for Banihal at 8 am.
The railway communiqué also said that one extra train service will start at 3:10 pm from the north and will pick up the route of ex-Budgam at 4:15.
Train services in the valley were also suspended for 11 months from March 19, 2020 owing to the novel coronavirus pandemic outbreak.
In Kashmir, railways used to run with high occupancy. In summers 35,000 to 40,000 commuters used train services daily while it came down to 25,000 in winters.
The train service in the valley has often been marred by political developments. In August 2019, the service was suspended for 100 days following the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution. During the 2010 agitation, the services came to a halt after the coaches were damaged. In 2016, after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani, the services remained suspended for over six months. It also remained shut for over two months during 2014 floods.
