SRINAGAR: People continue to suffer as train service remained suspended for the second successive day today on Srinagar-Banihal track via south Kashmir for security reasons while trains will chug in north Kashmir as per schedule, a senior Railway official said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people arriving at different rail stations on Srinagar-Banihal track are returning with great disappointment after being informed about the suspension of the rail service.
The train service on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region track will remain suspended today for the second successive day for security reasons, Chief Controller Northern Railway said.
He said the decision to suspend all train runs on this track has been taken for the security of passengers and railway property following an advisory from state administration and police.
A top district commander of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) Ayoub Lalihari was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama on August 16, leading to massive protests in the south Kashmir, where some damage was caused to railway property also.
Train service on Srinagar-Banihal track was resumed only August 16 after remaining suspended for four days for security forces following the killing of three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants and two Army soldiers on August 13 in Shopian.
Two civilians were also killed when security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators in Shopian and Pulwama in south Kashmir. However, he said trains will run as per schedule on Srinagar-Badgam in Central Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir.
Railway authorities had to face very serious law and order situation when passengers protested after Banihal to Srinagar train was suddenly terminated at Anantnag on August 16 evening following directions by police. Similarly last train from Baramulla to Banihal was suspended at Badgam.
Passengers said they were later provided State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) buses by the railway authorities at Anantnag. Daily travelers on Srinagar-Banihal and vise versa are very agitated due to frequent suspension of train service citing security reasons.
There are more than one thousand Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) besides paramilitary and state police personnel to protect the 135 km rail track from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region.
However, a group of students travelling between Srinagar and Qazigund daily questioned why these security forces cannot provide security to run the rail service. It is the students and government employees besides daily workers who suffered the most because of cancellation of train service.
During the past about two months train service has been suspended frequently for security reasons in the valley, where train property had suffered damage due to demonstration.
Last year train service remained suspended for about six months due to summer unrest in the Valley.
However, daily travelers are the most affected due to suspension of train service which is now being considered most trusted, cheap and fast. Students, employees and daily travelers are worst hit due suspension of the rail service in the valley, where traffic jam on majority routes has become a daily routine. (AGENCIES)
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