Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Feb 17: After remaining suspended for almost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Railways in Kashmir will gradually resume services from 22nd February.
Chief Area Manager Northern Railway for Kashmir valley, Saqib Ahmad, today issued an order asking the concerned authorities (SSP/GRP/ Srinagar) in the Valley for objections on restoring partial train service between Banihal and Baramulla from February 22.
“Train services are to be partially restored on Baramulla- Banihal section from 22 February 2021 onwards. Kindly inform us whether your office has any objections in restarting the passenger services,” the order stated.
The Chief Area Manager told Excelsior that the services will restart with a limited number of trains. “Yes, we are preparing to resume services from 22nd February. Currently, we are finalizing the program,” he said.
As per the official schedule, the train will leave from Baramulla at 9.10 am on 22nd February. Similarly, another train will leave Banihal at 11.25 am.
The decision for the resumption of the train services came after Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole, wrote to the Northern Railways for the resumption of services following public demand.
The Government halted the train service on March 21 after the UT administration announced lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. In between, an official said, a four-day special run of Vistadome coach was conducted for shooting a documentary.
Even though restrictions were relieved on almost all the sectors, the trains in the Valley remained suspended, making it arduous for thousands of commuters to reach their destination in winters. The worst sufferers of suspension are students, employees and laborers as an alternative means of transport are costly for them.
”I have to pay around Rs 300 from Budgam- Awantipora and vice versa. The same journey costs me Rs 40 by train. The trains will not only cut travel costs for us but also reduce time to a great extent”, Ubaid Ahmad, a student said.
The suspension of the services has also affected transports and small-time vendors whose livelihood depends on the trains services. “I used to run a tea stall outside Awantipora railway station. I am out of business because of the suspension of the service. I am incapable to meet the expenses of my family for the last year. All my worries will end with the resumption of Railway services,” Ghulam Mohammad, a vendor said.
Since the Railways here generate revenue from the sale of passenger tickets, snapping of services resulted in revenue loss to the tune of around Rs 8 crores for the period.
The back-to-back lockdowns that the Valley saw last year upset the train services on the 135 kilometer Banihal-Baramulla Railway line in the Valley. The train services came to a halt on 5th August after the annulment of Article 370 and stood halted for over three months. “We restarted the services on 12th November 2019 and the train chugged uninterruptedly for the next four months,” a railway official told Excelsior.
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