Srinagar, Sept 04: Jammu–Katra shuttle train service remained suspended for the second consecutive day on Thursday after floods and landslides hit the Jammu–Udhampur section. Heavy rains triggered a landslide that blocked the portal of Tunnel Number 16 between Ramnagar and Manwal, officials said.
“Due to heavy rainfall and landslides, railways have decided to cancel the shuttle train service today,” Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said.
The shuttle service, comprising four trains, had been introduced on September 1 to facilitate the movement of locals and stranded passengers and was scheduled to run until September 15.
Rail traffic across the Jammu railway division has been suspended for the past nine days due to breaches and track misalignments in the Pathankot–Jammu section following flash floods on August 26.
To mitigate the crisis, the Railways has operated seven special trains over the last four days, ferrying 5,784 stranded passengers from Jammu to their destinations. However, thousands of pilgrims and travellers continue to face hardships as rains and landslides have severely disrupted both road and rail connectivity since August 26.
A massive landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra earlier claimed 34 lives, underscoring the severity of the situation.
