Rail service suspended again on Srinagar-Banihal track

Srinagar, Aug 17: Train service has again been suspended on Srinagar-Banihal track via south Kashmir for security reasons while trains will chug in north Kashmir as per schedule, a senior Railway official said. There will be no train service on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region track today for security reasons, Chief Controller Northern Railway told UNI.

He said the decision to suspend all train runs on this track has been taken for the security of passengers and railway property following an advisory from state administration and police.

A top district commander of Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) Ayoub Lalihari was killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama yesterday, leading to massive protests in the south Kashmir, where some damage was caused to railway property also. Train service on Srinagar-Banihal track was resumed only yesterday after remaining suspended for four days for security forces following the killing of three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants and two Army soldiers on August 13 in Shopian.

Two civilians were also killed when security forces opened fire to disperse demonstrators in Shopian and Pulwama in south Kashmir. However, he said trains will run as per schedule on Srinagar-Badgam in central Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir. During the past about two months train service has been suspended frequently for security reasons in the valley, where train property had suffered damage due to demonstration. Last year train service remained suspended for about six months due to summer unrest in the valley. However, daily travelers are the most affected due to suspension of train service which is now being considered most trusted, cheap and fast.

Students, employees and daily travelers are worst hit due suspension of the rail service in the valley, where traffic jam on majority routes as become a daily routine.