Train service resume after three days in Kashmir

Srinagar, May 9: Train service in Kashmir resumed on Wednesday morning after remaining suspended for three days for security reasons in the valley, where separatists had called a strike against the civilian and militant killing in Shopian on Sunday.
There will be no strike today, the separatist announced and urged people to resume their normal activities.
Six youth were killed, while around 30 others received injuries following action by security force action in Shopian on demonstrators who had hit the streets after five militants of Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), including a top commander and Assistant Professor of Kashmir University (KU) turned militant, were killed in an encounter on Sunday.
'We resumed train service in the valley',a senior railway official told this morning.
He said, all trains will run as per schedule between Srinagar-Badgam and Baramlla in north Kashmir. Similarly trains will also chug on Badgam-Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region, he said.
After reviewing the situation, he said that the authorities decided to resume train service in the valley. We are acting on the advice of police since the safety and security of passengers and railway staff was top priority, he said adding that in the past railway suffered huge loss after coaches and railway stations and lighting system were damaged in stone pelting amidst demonstrations.
Normally we receive huge rush of passengers on Monday when people are resuming their normal activities after Sunday,and we are expecting a rush of passengers today as there was strike since Sunday, he added.
So far train service had been suspended for four times in the valley for security reasons this month.
Last month the service remained suspended for nine times fully or partially for security reasons. Trains go off tracks when there is any strike call by separatists or encounter between militants and security forces in the valley.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) , comprising Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq and Mohammad Yaseen Malik had called for general strike against the Shopian killings from Sunday.
The train service has become very popular as it is being considered safe, fast and cheap against other modes of transport. UNI