Jammu 04 September :- For the second day in a row on Thursday, the crucial Jammu-Katra shuttle train service remained suspended due to extensive damage caused by floods and landslides, severing a key transport link for pilgrims and locals.
The disruption was triggered after heavy rains provoked landslides that blocked the entrance to tunnel number 16 on the track between Ramnagar and Manwal in the Jammu-Udhampur section. Chief Public Relations Officer Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay confirmed the cancellation, citing the adverse weather conditions.
This suspension is a significant setback, as the special four-train shuttle service had only just been inaugurated on September 1 to alleviate travel chaos and was scheduled to operate until September 15. The region’s rail network has been in crisis for nine days following devastating rains on August 26 that caused misalignment and breaches at multiple points on the Pathankot-Jammu line. In response, railways have been operating special trains from Jammu to clear the backlog of stranded passengers, successfully transporting 5,784 individuals on seven trains over the past four days.
The suspension has left scores of pilgrims and other travelers stranded since the onset of the extreme weather late last month.
