Jammu: The Northern Railways on Monday launched a shuttle service between Jammu and Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, to ease the travel of locals and stranded passengers.
Four trains have been deployed on the Jammu-Katra route for the service, which will run from September 1 to 15. “The shuttle service has been started to facilitate the movement of daily commuters, stranded passengers, and labourers engaged in restoration work,” a railway official said. The service will also benefit government employees and students.
Train operations in the Jammu division have been suspended for a week due to track misalignments and breaches along the Pathankot-Jammu section following heavy rains and flash floods on August 26. More than 50 trains were cancelled on Monday alone.
In the past four days, Railways has operated special trains to move stranded passengers from Jammu, ferrying 5,784 people in seven trains for their onward journey.
The downpour since August 26 has left scores of pilgrims and locals stranded, crippling both rail and road traffic across the region. A landslide near the Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra claimed 34 lives.
