In the context of the existing Jammu Railway Station, there is absolutely no qualms about it needing a preferred attention for improvement in various areas. It becomes increasingly important, looking to the turnover of the daily incoming and outgoing passengers as also the increasing number of passenger trains coupled with goods trains-wagons and freight wagons. The station is seen not only always heavily overcrowded but its platform floors used as “waiting cum resting” places where passengers are seen even taking meals making it quite trying for passengers to board the trains and those arriving and trying to leave the station for their destinations. When the existing Railway Station was constructed and other paraphernalia provided, it was sufficient at the most for a decade or so and that too, as only two main passenger trains leaving and arriving, the space was reasonably sufficient. However, with gradual increase in traffic and passenger movement, proportionately the infrastructure was not improved and not made to cope with the growing requirements.
Shifting of oil depots from the Railway Station to another “safe” place and thus addressing security concerns of the Railway Station as also proposed shifting of the goods yard shortly to Bari Brahmana, the condition of the Railway Station is slated to vastly change as the space created by such shifting can be used for constructing new additional platforms to diffuse and ease the pressure in terms of incoming and outgoing passengers and easy movement and halt of the trains. Not that it was not envisaged, nearly a decade back, that the Railway Station did not need patch (repairing) work approach or ad-hoc short term solutions for day to day basis minimum requirements but a comprehensive developmental plan which includes its expansion, leverage for future requirement, more platforms, better traffic management, renovation, better ambiance, 24 hours working escalators and lifts, separate entrance and departure gates, better lighting arrangements, addressing overcrowding, noise pollution and messy position as also a full time restaurant, last but not least – clean and inviting platforms, tidy wash rooms etc. However, due to various reasons believed to be “unavoidable”, this developmental plan, however, could not take off.
We understand that this station is, now going to be developed as a “Model Station”, why not – keeping in view the importance it carries due to the most revered shrine of Mata Shree Vaishno Devi in Katra Jammu, the pilgrimage for which is going on round the year, day and night- as also annual pilgrimage to Shree Amarnath Shrine in Kashmir which has a three month active duration in addition to tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir to enjoy the enchanting and captivating tourist spots and natural water bodies and the like hence a constant increase in passenger turnover. It is reported that the Railway Authorities have already accorded sanction to the developmental plan, we hope it to get implemented on ground with a good pace. Whatever, hitches and issues remaining to be settled in respect of this prestigious project, must be seriously and expeditiously addressed so that the existing problems were not only addressed but this station in itself made such a Model Station that it became a spot of attraction in itself.
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