Incessant rains and floods forced termination of rail service between Srinagar and Banihal. The link remained suspended for twenty days. Railway authorities have indicated that the link has been restored, thanks to the engineers and workers who have been putting in their best to meet the challenge. People in the valley, especially in South Kashmir, who have got used to rail travel, were totally disappointed by the termination of the service. However the announcement that rail traffic had resumed brought a wave of happiness among the commuters. Its first and most important impact will be on transportation of essential goods to the valley which is of high priority.
Rail track from Budgam to Banihal had suffered serious damages at dozens of places which had forced the rail authorities to suspend the service. The engineers have been complimented for their untiring services day and night in repairing the damaged parts of the track. Hopefully this will also be a guideline for the railway authorities of what possibly can happen in a situation of incessant rains and water logging. With the resumption of rail traffic it should be possible to transport goods in and out of the valley. Scarcity and shortage of edibles that have adversely affected the entire valley are likely to be mitigated with the resumption of rail service.
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