Srinagar, Jan 25 :
In view of an extraordinary rush of passengers due to prolonged closure of roads and cancellation of flights following inclement weather, the Railways has decided to operate a reserved special train between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra (SVDK) and Srinagar (SINA) on January 27 and 28, officials said.
An official told the news agency Kashmir News Corner (KNC) that the special train will be run on the route of the non-operational Vande Bharat service to ensure availability of at least two train services between Katra and Srinagar during the two days.
The train will operate in both directions—SVDK–SINA–SVDK—with an en-route halt at Banihal (BAHL).
As per the proposed schedule, on January 27, the special train will depart from SVDK at around 08:10 am and reach Srinagar in the afternoon, while the return journey from Srinagar to Katra will be in the evening. On January 28, similar services have been planned with adjusted timings to facilitate smooth passenger movement, the official said.
The proposed rake composition will include a power car, luggage and brake van, multiple AC-3 tier coaches, AC-3 tier economy coaches and a power car at the other end.
Officials said security clearance has been sought from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for smooth operation of the special train.
The decision is aimed at providing relief to stranded passengers and easing travel between Jammu and Kashmir amid continued disruption of road and air connectivity. —(KNC)