Srinagar, Sept 3: The Northern Railway has cancelled 68 incoming and outgoing trains from Jammu and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra stations until September 30, following extensive damage to railway infrastructure caused by unprecedented rainfall in the region.
While 24 train services are expected to resume in a phased manner, rail traffic in the Jammu division has remained suspended for the ninth consecutive day due to multiple breaches and track misalignments along the Pathankot–Jammu section, severely affected by flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential rains on August 26.
Officials said restoration efforts are ongoing but are being severely hampered by continued rainfall and flooding at several vulnerable stretches.
“The restoration work is being carried out on a war footing, but progress depends on weather conditions and track stability,” said Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northern Railway. “Passenger safety remains our top priority, and we urge travellers to check for real-time updates before planning any journey.”
The disruption has caused widespread inconvenience, particularly for thousands of pilgrims en route to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. The Jammu region has recorded 380 mm of rainfall, its highest since 1910, leading to severe flooding, road closures, and a deadly landslide near Katra that claimed 34 lives last week.
In response, the Railways introduced a limited number of special services to ferry stranded passengers. These included the Jammu Tawi–Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra shuttles, Jammu Tawi–Kolkata, and Katra–New Delhi trains.
Four shuttle trains between Jammu and Katra were also pressed into service from September 1 for a two-week period. However, these too were suspended on Wednesday due to fresh flooding on the tracks.
“The shuttle services between Jammu and Katra, which had been initiated to aid stranded passengers and pilgrims, have been cancelled temporarily due to waterlogging and unsafe conditions,” a railway official confirmed.
Despite the challenging conditions, the Railways has managed to resume some long-distance trains. Services such as the Sampark Kranti, Sealdah Express, Kantri Express, Trivandrum Express, and the high-speed Vande Bharat Express are scheduled to return to operation gradually. The Vande Bharat service is expected to resume on September 7, officials said.
Over the past four days alone, seven special trains have been operated from Jammu, ferrying 5,784 stranded passengers to their onward destinations. Officials said more such services could be introduced depending on the evolving situation.
Meanwhile, both rail and road connectivity in the Jammu region remain heavily disrupted. Major highways, including NH-44 and the Mughal Road, remain closed due to landslides and mudslides, leaving thousands of vehicles and passengers stranded across multiple districts.
Authorities said joint efforts are being made to expedite the restoration of both road and rail infrastructure. However, persistent rainfall and unstable slopes continue to slow progress.
The Railways has assured that suspended train services will be restored in a phased manner before the end of September, subject to weather conditions and the pace of repair work.
