SRINAGAR, May 13:
Train service remained suspended for the 4th day today in the Kashmir valley following damage caused to railway track on Srinagar-Banihal route by demonstrators on May 9 afternoon.
Train services remained suspended as repair work was still going on, a railway official said this morning. He said train services from Baramulla in North Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region via Srinagar will remain suspended till the repair work is completed.
Train service was resumed only on May 9 after remaining suspended for security reasons since last Sunday after an encounter ensued in Shopian in which five Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants were killed. Later during the subsequent demonstrators six civilians died in security force action.
“We had resumed the train service on May 9 but had to suspend it again in the afternoon in South Kashmir after some demonstrators damaged track at Panzgam. However, train service continued in North Kashmir on May 9”, the official said.
He said repair work was going on to install three hundred track-circuit operating clip (TCOC) which were missing at Panzgam in South Kashmir after demonstrations. Therefore, he said, no train will chug on Srinagar-Budgam and Baramulla in North Kashmir.
Similarly, all trains will remained suspended on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in South Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region. He said railway has suffered heavy damage to coaches, tracks and lighting system in the past also during demonstrations. This is the eighth time the train service has been suspended in the Valley this month.
Last month the service had to be eight times for security reasons. In 2016 train service remained suspended for over 50 days due to summer unrest. He said in the past we were suspending train service on the advice of police for security reasons but this time we had to stop all trains after the tracks were damaged.
Last month window panes, including front screen, were damaged after some demonstrators pelted stones on train between Srinagar- Baramulla track, he said adding the service is for common people but we cannot compromise on their security.
However, official sources said that some miscreants have damaged the track since train service is being considered very cheap, safe and fast as compared to other transport which are very costly. The cabs and other transporters had field day when trains are suspended in the Valley. (UNI)
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