Srinagar, Sept 07: Following recent heavy rains and floods in Jammu Division of Northern Railway that disrupted operations and damaged infrastructure, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Vivek Kumar on Sunday inspected key railway bridges between Jammu and Pathankot Cantt.
The inspection covered bridge number 232 on the Chakki River between Pathankot Cantt and Kandrodi block, which suffered significant damage during the floods and where large-scale repair work is currently underway. More than 250 workers have been deployed at the site, and officials said restoration is progressing on a war footing.
The DRM also reviewed ongoing repairs on bridge number 17 between Kathua and Madhopur (Punjab) and bridge number 137 between Ghagwal and Hiranagar. Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, and other senior officers accompanied him during the inspection.
“The safety of passengers is our top priority. After the flood incidents, we immediately began detailed inspections of all bridges. Repair work is progressing, and instructions have been issued to complete it at the earliest,” Kumar said.
Railway officials said the sudden floods and strong currents in the Chakki River had caused damage to multiple bridges, leading to operational challenges. Restoration teams have been working round the clock to ensure the safe resumption of full services.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Division, Uchit Singhal, who accompanied the DRM along with other senior officers, said the inspection was aimed at taking stock of progress, ensuring quality control and expediting material and manpower supply to the sites.
He said supervisory teams have been instructed to maintain strict safety and construction standards during restoration. “Repair teams are working in shifts and coordination among engineering, operations, and commercial wings has been intensified to reduce disruption to passengers and freight movement,” he said.
Northern Railway has also been conducting detailed inspections of other vulnerable structures across the division to rule out further risks and to put in place precautionary speed restrictions and track monitoring where necessary. Officials stressed that routine inspections and safety audits will continue until services are fully normalised.
Railway operations in the division were impacted for several days after the heavy rains, leading to delays and partial suspension of services on affected sections. While some trains have been rescheduled or short-terminated to manage traffic, authorities said alternate arrangements are being worked out and passengers are being informed of changes through official channels.
