Trains remain suspended

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 21

As the train services between Baramulla in north Kashmir and Banihal in the Jammu region continued to remain suspended for twelfth consecutive day following protests and clashes over the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on July 8, the railways is yet to assess the damage to its property.

“As the situation continues to remain tense, we have not been able to assess the exact damage to the railways’’ property,” said a senior official.

However, he said the reports that had been collected from various areas revealed that the level crossing gates had been damaged on the tracks between Qazigund-Sadoora and Baramulla-Sopore. The Anantnag yard too has been damaged during the protests.

The official said a barrack of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and two quarters of the station master were set on fire on July 10 at Bijbehara in Anantnag district, which has been the epicentre of the protests.

In view of this situation, a high-level team of officials of railways from New Delhi may be rushed to Srinagar to assess the extent of damage and decide on resumption of the rail operations on the 135-km track between Baramulla in north Kashmir and Banihal in Jammu region.

The train services have remained suspended between Banihal to Baramulla since July 9 due to the massive protests and curfew across the Valley. The Kashmir train has been growing as a popular means of cheap and fast transportation system since it first started chugging between Anantnag in south Kashmir and Mazhom in central Kashmir in 2008. It got connected to Banihal through the Asia’s longest tunnel in the Pir Panjal range in 2013.