Jammu, Sept 11: Rail services on the Katra–Jammu–Kathua route resumed on Thursday evening after remaining suspended for over 15 days due to extensive damage caused by torrential rains and floods in Jammu and Kashmir.
Train operations on the route were halted on August 26 after heavy rainfall caused significant damage to the rail infrastructure, including key bridges and track installations.
“Four trains, including the high-speed Vande Bharat and the Madrass Express, operated late this evening on the restored track,” said senior railway official Udipan Sharma, speaking to Rising Kashmir.
Sharma said the restoration was made possible by the tireless efforts of over 250 workers who worked around the clock to repair the affected stretch. “The damage was extensive, but teams worked day and night to make the track operational again,” he added.
A comprehensive inspection was carried out on Wednesday by senior railway officials, led by Dinesh Chandra Deswal, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Northern Railway. The inspection focused on the affected bridges and other critical infrastructure. Rail services across Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and parts of Himachal Pradesh were severely disrupted due to flash floods and continuous rainfall that began on August 26. In Jammu Division alone, intense flooding and waterlogging led to widespread suspension of rail operations.
Sources said several railway bridges in the region were compromised, contributing to the prolonged disruption. Train operations in the Jammu Division were suspended entirely during the peak of the crisis.
The resumption of services is expected to ease travel and logistics challenges in the region, especially with the festive and apple-harvesting seasons underway.
