Rain Shuts Highway, 1,500 J&K Tourists Evacuated Through Special Trains

The Indian Railways on Friday operated multiple special trains, evacuating 1,500 stranded tourists, with the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway cut off due to heavy rains and damaged roads.The Jammu Division of the Northern Railway said the operation ensured that no tourist was left stuck due to the massive disruption on the roads."Passenger convenience and safety is our top priority. In view of inclement weather and road closure, we took an immediate decision to run special trains so that travelers do not face any inconvenience," said Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu.A special train departed from Sangaldan at 1:45 pm, making scheduled halts at Banihal and Anantnag, before reaching Srinagar at 4:40 pm.On the return journey, the same train left Srinagar at 5 pm, halted at Banihal and reached Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 8:15 pm.Train number 74620 was also extended from Sangaldan up to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to accommodate the extra rush.A similar special train was also run on July 23, from Srinagar to Katra.To ensure no inconvenience to travellers, Singhal has urged passengers to check train status on the NTES App, IRCTC website, or dial 139 before starting their journey.With highways often vulnerable to weather, the Jammu Division of railways reiterated that it will continue to serve as a dependable alternative for commuters and tourists in the region.