Jammu: Jammu Railway Station is heading for a major degradation with the installation of a modern interlocking system. However, the process would likely disrupt the train service in Jammu and Kashmir as the Railways has suspended at least 65 trains till March 6.
People wanting to visit Jammu or the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Katra will have to go for booking of available trains; otherwise, the waiting list of passengers will be quite big.
The Northern Railways approved the suspension of services of around 65 trains, including one pair of the Katra-New Delhi Vande Bharat train, till March 6. Other major trains that remain suspended include the Shalimar Malini Express, which runs between Jammu and Barmer in Rajasthan, the Tirupati-Jammu Tawi Hamsafar, and many more.
Even the New Delhi-Jammu Tawi Rajdhani Express will remain off track from March 2 to March 5, and the Jammu Tawi to New Delhi Rajdhani Express will remain suspended from March 3 to March 6.
According to the railway authorities, Jammu Tawi Railway Station was the only station all over India where the mechanical interlocking of tracks was still in place, which needed to be upgraded to electronic mode.
“We have mechanical and panel interlocking systems in place, whereas all over India, even the small railway stations have upgraded to the electronic mode. The upgradation to electronic mode was not possible without suspending the trains,” a senior railway official of the Jammu division said.
He said that yard remodelling would increase the length of lines, ensure safety, and above all, minimise human error, as everything will be done electronically. “It takes a few minutes to shift the lines mechanically, and at times there always remains the possibility of human error. But once the electronic system is put in place, lines will be changed within seconds, and it will be error-free,” he added.
The railways department is hopeful that by March 6, the yard remodelling work will be completed and normal operation of trains will resume.
Alongside the yard remodelling, Jammu Tawi Railway Station is going for complete overhauling and redevelopment. In this work, the number of platforms in the railway station will be increased from three to seven, washing lines will be increased from three to five, stabling lines will also be increased, three-foot over bridges will be constructed, lifts and escalators will be installed, and a second gate from the Narwal side will also be constructed. This work will take almost two years to complete, the official informed.
But since the order about the suspension of trains has come, people believe that it would hurt the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi pilgrimage and the movement of people who prefer to travel by train.
“Every day thousands of people travel by train, and pilgrims from all over India reach here and Katra by train to pay obeisance at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine. Whether they will have to look for alternate options or they will have to plan their visit after March 6,” said Shubam Kumar, a resident of the Shaheedi Chowk area of Jammu city.
During the winter, airfares increase, and due to the suspension of train services, these fares may increase further.
“Not everyone could afford to travel by air, and these 48 days are going to be tough for those who intend to travel to Jammu. Once the people will not be able to travel via train and air, the rush of passengers through interstate buses will increase,” said Chehak Chanda, a resident of the Trikuta Nagar posh colony.
The Railways has also suspended the Diesel Multiple Unit (DMU) train service between the Pathankot area of Punjab and Udhampur city of Jammu and Kashmir, which was being used mostly by employees and daily travellers. They will have to commute through the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway, which is in dilapidated condition.
“The DMU train is a lifeline for us, but now we will have to look for alternatives. As expressway work is under progress on the Jammu-Pathankot stretch, it takes around three hours to cover the distance of around 85 kilometres,” claimed Sudesh Singh, a resident of the Billawar area of Kathua district.
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