Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 25: Railway stations across Kashmir witnessed a heavy rush of passengers as commuters and tourists turned to trains after snowfall disrupted road and air travel, despite the partial reopening of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
At Srinagar railway station, a heavy rush of commuters, many of them tourists travelling with families and children, were seen boarding trains as road travel became difficult due to heavy snowfall and slippery conditions. Snowfall on 23 January stranded hundreds of vehicles on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, the only all-weather road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
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Flight operations in the Valley were also disrupted for at least a day following the snowfall, further limiting travel options. With both road and air traffic affected, the rail network emerged as the most reliable mode of transport over the past three days, keeping railway stations across south and central Kashmir busy.
Hundreds of tourists arrived at stations such as Anantnag and Banihal in search of alternative transport. Many reported long delays and difficult journeys during the highway closure. “It took us two days to reach here, and we somehow managed to get to Banihal before taking this train. We express our gratitude for the service; without it, we would not have made it to Srinagar,” a tourist from Kolkata tol Excelsior at the Srinagar railway station.
Another tourist said conditions on the highway were tough, but rail services proved dependable. “It was really tough for us to reach Banihal, but we heaved a sigh of relief after reaching Srinagar,” a tourist from Kolkata said.
However, some travellers expressed concern over the limited number of trains and urged authorities to introduce additional services to manage the rush during periods of bad weather. “Tourists were moving here and there with no clear information. We had been waiting for a train since morning. Additional trains should have been arranged,” another tourist said.
Rail services on the Baramulla-Banihal section were partially affected on Friday due to continuous snowfall, with several tracks temporarily covered in snow. Most trains remained suspended until the afternoon. As weather conditions improved later in the day, officials said services resumed gradually. The Vande Bharat Express and local passenger trains began operating on routes including Katra-Srinagar, Baramulla-Sangaldan, and Banihal-Baramulla, allowing stranded passengers to continue their journeys.
In response to the rush, the Railways decided to operate special reserved trains between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Katra and Srinagar on 27 and 28 January, following forecasts of fresh snowfall and possible disruptions. Officials said the decision was taken to ensure passenger convenience, especially as Vande Bharat services were not scheduled to operate on those two days.
According to Railway officials, the special train on 27 January was scheduled to depart from SMVD Katra at 8:10 am and arrive in Srinagar at 11:00 am, with a halt at Banihal. The return service was to leave Srinagar at 2:00 pm and reach Katra at 5:00 pm the same day.
On 28 January, another special reserved train was to depart from SMVD Katra at 10:30 am and arrive in Srinagar at 1:30 pm, again stopping at Banihal. On the return journey, train number 04630 was to leave Srinagar at 3:00 pm and reach SMVD Katra at 6:00 pm.
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