Jammu, Jan 28: To facilitate a large number of tourists visiting Kashmir and other stranded passengers amid disruption to road and air travel due to inclement weather and snowfall, Jammu Railway Division of the Northern Railway added two extra AC coaches to the special reserved Katra-Srinagar train operated by it on Wednesday, January 28.
The addition of these two coaches provided 144 extra berths, helping passengers with waiting list tickets get confirmed seats, stated Raghvender Singh, Public Relations Inspector, Jammu Railway Division.
“Considering the disruption to road and air travel due to inclement weather and snowfall, the Jammu Division of Northern Railway operated a special reserved train, number 04629/04630, today, January 28, between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Srinagar. Due to the large number of tourists visiting Kashmir and to ensure their comfortable journey, two additional AC coaches were added to the special reserved train,” Singh said.
Referring to the overwhelming response the measure evoked, Singh said that the passengers appreciated the railway’s step, calling it a positive step.
“The operation of the special reserved train from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar with the additional coaches was successful. In this challenging situation, the special train not only proved comfortable for passengers but also generated record revenue by operating at full capacity on this historic route,” he said.
Regarding the operation of the special train, he informed that special reserved train number 04629 departed from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at its scheduled time of 10.30 am, carrying over 800 passengers.
Similarly, special reserved train number 04630, traveling from Srinagar to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, departed from Srinagar at its scheduled time of 3 pm, carrying over 850 passengers.
Regarding the special train operated on the second day, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, Uchit Singhal, said, “The special trains operated on January 27 and 28 provided much-needed relief to tourists and travellers visiting Kashmir, as road and air travel were disrupted due to inclement weather. More than 3000 passengers travelled on these special trains over the two days and expressed their gratitude to the railways.”
“The occupancy of these special trains was over 100 percent, and the revenue generated from these trains increased due to the addition of two extra AC coaches,” Singhal said.
He further added that such initiatives would build confidence in the railways among travellers and tourists visiting Kashmir, and would lead to an increase in the number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir in the future.
