Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Sept 26: After remaining suspended for 20 days following devastating floods, Rail service between Srinagar and Banihal is likely to be resumed partially from tomorrow as repair work of damaged infrastructure has been completed.
“The train service from Srinagar to Banihal will be resumed partially from tomorrow and we are expecting to introduce regular service from Monday onwards, i.e. September 29,” Neeraj Sharma, Chief PRO of the Northern Railway informed the Excelsior.
The team of engineers has finished the restoration work on war footing following which dry runs on the repaired track were successfully conducted today for final clearance to resume the service, he added.
While elaborating further, he said that an empty rack will be taken from Budgam to Banihal tomorrow around 10 a m to pick up first commercial service at 14.50 hours at Banihal for Budgam via Srinagar.
Pertinent to mention here that the Rail service in Kashmir Valley was suspended on September 7 following the worst-ever floods in a century, which left a trail of death and devastation across the State.
Floods inflicted huge losses to the Railway as the track was damaged at dozens of places between Kakapora and Anantnag in south Kashmir forcing the authorities to immediately suspend the service.
The flood waters damaged the railway track at dozens of places, mostly in south Kashmir, besides washing away a portion of 100-feet embankment of the track near Kakapora in Pulwama district, sources informed.
On September 15, the Railways partially resumed train service between Srinagar and North Kashmir’s Baramulla district after restoring the damaged tracks but the service between Srinagar and Banihal was still suspended.
The entire work has been finished on war footing by the team of Engineers besides conducting successful dry runs on the repaired track today and the Railway authorities are now all set to resume Rail service between Srinagar and Banihal, partially from tomorrow and regular by Monday, the spokesman said.
A team of Railway Engineers, which rushed to Valley from New Delhi, did work on war footing to restore the damaged lines and other infrastructure between Srinagar and Anantnag and it is all because of their hard work that the Northern Railway is going to restart the service, he added.
After fully restoration of the service, which is expected by Monday onwards, all three pairs of the DMU will start chugging in Kashmir Valley once again with regular service from Banihal to Budgam via Srinagar, he said.
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