Non-interlocking work: Rail traffic on Jammu-Delhi section goes haywire

Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, March 14

While rail traffic on the Katra/Jammu-Delhi section remained disturbed due to traffic restrictions, the Northern Railway authorities announced extension of the 02125/26 Nagpur-Amritsar-Nagpur Superfast Weekly AC special train up to April 30, 2016. Due to regulation, diversion and short-termination, most of the trains originating from or bound for Katra/Jammu Tawi were running late from two to nine hours, which caused huge inconvenience to passengers.

Railway officials said the rail traffic on the Katra/Jammu-Delhi section had gone haywire due to traffic restrictions for non-interlocking work between Budhi and Chann Arorian railway stations on the Pathankot-Jammu section for the past three days.

Due to late running of most of the trains since Saturday, not only trains originating from Katra/Jammu Tawi but also those bound for these places were running behind schedule. The down trains running late were 12208 Jammu-Kathgodam Garib Rath (6.17 hrs), 19804 Katra-Kota Weekly (7.10 hrs), 22462 Katra-New Delhi Shri Shakti Express (6.45 hrs), 19028 Jammu-Bandra (Mumbai) (2.30 hrs), 12332 Jammu-Howrah Himgiri Express (9.30 hrs), 12920 Jammu-Indore Malwa Express (2.40 hrs) and 12476 Katra-Hapa Sarvodaya Express (1.30 hrs).

The situation of trains bound for Katra/Jammu Tawi was no better as 18101 Tatanagar-Jammu Tawi Muri Express (6.10 hrs), 12471 Bandra (Mumbai)-Katra Swaraj Express (5.50 hrs), 12919 Indore-Jammu Tawi Malwa Express (3.40 hrs), 22679 Yeswantpur (Bengaluru)-Katra Express (3.23 hrs) and 14037 Delhi-Pathankot Express (1.35 hrs) were also running late.

Among other trains not able to maintain the time table were 15707 Katihar-Amritsar Amrapali Express (3.45 hrs), 11058 Amritsar-Mumbai CST (3.05 hrs).14650 Amritsar-Jaynagar Sarya-Yamuna Express (3.40 hrs) and 12715 Nanded-Amritsar Sachkhand Express (1.40 hrs).

It was officially stated that 12037/38 New Delhi-Ludhiana/Moga-New Delhi Shatabdi Express, along with 13050 Amritsar-Howrah Express and 14035 Delhi-Pathankot Express remained cancelled.