The extension of cancellation, short termination and short origination of multiple trains under the Jammu Division until May and June 2026 has deepened a crisis that has already tested the patience, economy and resilience of the region for over a year. What was initially projected as a temporary disruption following the devastating August-September monsoon floods has now turned into a prolonged ordeal, raising serious questions about infrastructure preparedness, repair timelines and institutional urgency within the Indian Railways.
Rail connectivity is not just a convenience for Jammu and the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage circuit-it is the region’s lifeline. The latest notification by Northern Railway, extending disruptions for nearly 20 long-distance and premium trains, including Garib Rath, Duronto, Humsafar, Jammu Mail and several AC Express services, underscores the scale of the problem. What is most troubling is the duration of the disruption. More than six months have passed since flash floods ravaged critical rail infrastructure, damaging bridges, washing away embankments, and crippling signalling systems across multiple sections. Bridges such as No. 17 between Kathua and Madhopur, No. 137 between Ghagwal and Hiranagar, No. 163 between Udhampur and Chak Rakwal, and No. 232 near Pathankot suffered severe structural distress. While the fury of nature may explain the initial paralysis, the inability to fully restore services even after half a year points to deeper systemic shortcomings-delays in repairs, lack of redundancy, and insufficient disaster resilience planning.
For Jammu, this crisis is not isolated to the floods alone. Railway users here have been grappling with disruptions for over a year, first due to renovation and remodelling works at Jammu Railway Station, and then due to monsoon damage. The cumulative effect has been devastating. The list of cancelled trains includes services to Gujarat and Maharashtra, two major source states for tourists and pilgrims visiting Jammu & Kashmir. Their prolonged absence has directly impacted visitor inflow, particularly to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, which draws over one crore devotees annually, most of whom rely on trains as their primary mode of travel.
The timing could not be worse. The new tourism season is expected to begin at the end of March, following the completion of school and board examinations, and intensify during the summer vacation. Traditionally, this period marks a surge in pilgrimage and leisure travel to Jammu and Katra. Yet, with rail connectivity still uncertain and many services cancelled till May or June, the region risks missing an entire peak season. The result is already visible: reduced bookings, falling hotel occupancy, and shrinking business for transporters, shopkeepers, pony owners, porters and countless small vendors whose livelihoods depend almost entirely on pilgrim tourism.
The problem is compounded by the incomplete widening of the Lakhanpur-Jammu NH. With road travel plagued by congestion, diversions and frequent jams, railways remain the only affordable and dependable option for lakhs of passengers. The simultaneous failure of both road and rail connectivity has created a double whammy-stranding travellers, inflating transport costs, and isolating the region economically. Medical patients, students, traders and daily commuters are bearing the brunt, while the operational trains are overcrowded and overbooked. Beyond immediate inconvenience lies a more dangerous fallout: erosion of confidence. Uncertainty since last year has already dented pilgrims’ trust in planning journeys to Jammu and Katra. Repeated extensions of cancellations reinforce the perception of unreliability, pushing travellers to either cancel plans or choose alternative destinations. For a region where tourism is not a luxury but an economic necessity, this loss of confidence is potentially catastrophic.
Equally concerning is the question of future preparedness. With another monsoon season approaching in a few months, has the Railways adequately safeguarded its infrastructure? Prevention is the best course. The Government must take cognisance of the gravity of the situation. This is not merely a matter of train schedules-it is a question of economic survival for lakhs of people dependent on tourism and trade. Expediting repairs through additional manpower, resources and monitoring, while ensuring long-term resilience of rail infrastructure in this vulnerable terrain, is imperative. Jammu and Katra cannot afford another season of paralysis. The region’s lifeline must be restored-not partially, not symbolically, but fully and urgently.
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