Rail service in Kashmir resumes; minibuses ply on Valley roads

Srinagar, November 12

Rail services in Kashmir resumed on Tuesday, over three months after being suspended due to security reasons in view of the Centre’s decision to abrogate Article 370, officials said.

A few minibuses also plied on the Batwara-Batamaloo route through the city centre, while inter-district cabs and auto-rickshaws plied in the city and elsewhere in the Valley.

Private transport was plying unhindered.

A railway official told PTI that a train chugged between Baramulla and Srinagar on Tuesday morning.

He said the train made only two trips on the Baramulla-Srinagar stretch as authorities had directed the railways to ply trains between 10 am and 3 pm only due to security reasons.

The railways conducted the trial run of the service on the stretch on Monday for the first time in over three months since the unannounced shutdown in the Valley.

The official said the Srinagar-Banihal stretch of the railway line would resume in a few days after checking track safety and conducting trial runs.

The train service in the valley was suspended due to security reasons on the morning of 5 August, hours before the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution.

The Centre’s decision led to an unannounced shutdown in the Valley–which completed 100 days on Tuesday--even as authorities imposed severe restrictions which were later gradually eased out.

Markets have been following a new pattern of functioning, opening early morning till around the noon and then downing their shutters to join the protest against abrogation of the special status of the state, officials said. PTI