Train services suspended in south Kashmir for security reasons

Srinagar, Jan 1: Train services have been suspended on the first day of the year for security reasons in south Kashmir, where five CRPF personnel and two local Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in a fierce encounter in Pulwama on Sunday.

However, trains will chug between Srinagar-Badgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla in north, a railway official told UNI on Monday.
He said an advisory was received from police on Sunday night to suspend all train running between Badgam-Srinagar in central Kashmir to Anantnag and Qazigund in south and Banihal in Jammu region.
Therefore, no train will run on this route for security reasons, he added. 
"We see a heavy rush of passengers on Monday when people are resuming their duties or business after availing Sunday holiday", he said. 
Large number of passengers who had arrived at different railway station in south Kashmir were very disappointed after the were informed that train services have been suspended.
Train services on 137 km Baramulla in north Kashmir to Banihal in region was suspended 51 times partially or fully in the Kashmir valley during 2017, causing a loss of over 1.50 crore to railways.
However, during 2016 summer train services remained suspended for about six months in the valley.
In February and March last year, the rail service was suspended due to strike calls. But in April a four-day suspension was due to parliamentary elections in two constituencies of Kashmir. 
However, it is the passengers who suffer the most due to suspension of the train services which has become very popular as it is being considered safe, cheap and fast as compare to other mode of transport.
The Srinagar-Banihal route remained busiest in terms of number of commuters but the most volatile areas fall in south Kashmir forcing authorities to suspend services on this route. UNI