Jammu, July 27: The first direct unlocking system has been installed at Dinanagar railway station in Northern Railway’s Jammu division, a step that is expected to improve efficiency and safety in railway operations, a senior official said.

Divisional Railway Manager, Jammu, Vivek Kumar said the system, installed on Saturday, directly controls the railway signalling and point machinery, thereby reducing the risk of human error.

The direct unlocking system ensures that the safe passage of trains is ensured, thereby reducing the risk of accidents, he said, adding that the system also streamlines the movement of trains, and improves the efficiency of train operations.

“We are proud to introduce this system at Dinapur railway station. This is an important step towards modernisation of Railways. This system will not only improve safety and efficiency but will also provide better travel experience to passengers,” Kumar said.

He said Indian Railways is planning to implement this system at other stations as well.

“This is an important step towards making Indian Railways modern, safe and efficient,” he said.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the railways said Jammu and Kashmir is witnessing rapid upgradation of rail tracks and coaches after Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off two Vande Bharat Express trains between Katra and Srinagar, connecting Kashmir with the railway network of the country, on June 6.

“Over and above the new train services, opening of this (Kashmir) line has made a fundamental change in the ability to maintain rail tracks in the valley. The railway link has enabled movement of track maintenance machines to Kashmir,” the spokesman said.

He said maintenance is now being done with modern machines, unlike manual maintenance earlier. This is leading to significant improvement in track quality, he added.

To strengthen track maintenance activities in Kashmir, a tamping machine has been deployed since early June, which packs the stone chips under the tracks to ensure proper alignment and stability of the tracks.

It has so far tamped approximately 88 km of track in the valley, he said, adding this has improved the ballast cushion and will make the ride smooth.

In addition, he said two ballast cleaning machines (BCMs) have also been deployed. Ballast is the stone chip collection on tracks.

These machines are working in tandem and have deep-screened around 11.5 km track. Cleaner ballast leads to safer operation, the spokesman said.

Two additional BCMs were sent to the valley in July, 2025 and these machines have undertaken deep screening and have executed approximately 2.5 km of track.

To supplement the tamping and deep-screening work by recoupment of ballast, 17 ballast rakes were sent and unloaded in Kashmir tracks from ballast depots at Kathua, Qazigund, Madhopur and Jind. Consequently, 19,000 cubic meters of ballasting was done, he said.

He said track recording car (TRC) and oscillation monitoring system (OMS) runs were also conducted in June and July, respectively to assess track quality and identify track stretches requiring attention. All these work have significantly improved track quality in Kashmir, he added.

Along with track upgradation, the spokesman said a paradigm shift has happened in the maintenance and upgradation of passenger coaches in Jammu and Kashmir.

Till the opening of Jammu-Srinagar rail link, there was no rail connectivity of Kashmir valley with the rest of the Indian Railway network.

The DEMU/MEMU rakes in Kashmir could not be brought to the workshop for periodic maintenance and upgradation, the spokesman said.

He said periodic overhauling (POH) was being done by transporting bogies from Budgam in central Kashmir to Lucknow on road trailers, adding this was sub-optimal.

For the first time, rakes from the valley have been brought to Lucknow through rail for POH, the spokesman said, adding the condition of all the rakes in Budgam is being improved in a time-bound manner.

He said the upgradation work of passenger coaches in Kashmir will be completed by August-end, and all rakes in service will be renovated and upgraded within this timeframe.

Indian Railways is often called the ‘lifeline of the nation’. With the opening of Jammu-Srinagar rail line and the ongoing upgradation work, it will provide a new lifeline to Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.

Srinagar, July 27: An 18-year-old cricketer died after drowning in the Munawar Tawi river in Rajouri district on Sunday morning, officials said.

They said that the deceased has been identified as Lakshit Sharma, a resident of Channi Sunderbani in Rajouri district. He drowned in the river early this morning.

Lakshit was known locally for his exceptional cricketing skills and was considered a promising player with a bright future in the sport.

His body was later retrieved from the river and shifted to Sunderbani Hospital for medico-legal formalities.

Police have taken cognisance of the incident, and further investigation has been initiated. (JKNS)

Jammu, July 27: In a major crackdown against narco-terrorism involving interstate and cross-border smuggling, the State Investigation Agency (SIA) has filed the first chargesheet in a case related to the seizure of more than 46 kilograms of heroin in Jammu and Punjab, officials said.

According to a police spokesperson, “The chargesheet, filed before the competent court, pertains to a criminal case registered following the recovery of over 33 kilograms of heroin in the Bus Stand area of Jammu under the NDPS Act. Upon uncovering cross-border terror links in the case, the investigation was taken over by the SIA under the provisions of the NDPS Act and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

He added that “The case originated with the apprehension of Sartaj Singh, a resident of Tarn Taran, Punjab, from the Bus Stand area in Jammu, based on precise intelligence inputs. Authorities recovered 33.580 kg of heroin from his possession at the time of arrest. Swift follow-up investigation led to the identification of a second accused, Amritpal Singh alias Fouji, who initially escaped the scene with another consignment but was later arrested by Punjab Police, yielding an additional 12.626 kg of heroin.”

He said that owing to the international dimensions and emerging terror linkages, the case was transferred to SIA Jammu. Investigations unearthed critical evidence connecting Amritpal Singh to a Pakistan-based handler affiliated with the proscribed terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba, establishing a direct narco-terrorism linkage. This breakthrough was achieved through meticulously employed technical, scientific and human intelligence.

The chargesheet substantiates grave offences under the NDPS Act and UAPA against the accused duo and other involved individuals. This case marks a major success for law enforcement in the fight against narcotics-fueled terrorism and highlights the continuing threat posed by transnational criminal-terrorist syndicates exploiting drug trafficking routes to fund and support terror activities in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and beyond, he added.