Srinagar, Jun 18: The commuters from different parts of north Kashmir districts on Wednesday complained that the timing of the first morning train from Baramulla station was not in sync with the recently commissioned Vande Bharat express.
The Vande Bharat Express was recently launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will connect Kashmir valley with the rest of the country. The train commutes between Srinagar and Katra railway station. However, the commuters from north Kashmir districts urged the authorities of the Northern Railway to reschedule the timing of the first morning train from Baramulla station to enable better connectivity with the Bharat Express from Srinagar to Katra.
The commuters said that Vande Bharat departs from Srinagar Railway Station (Nowgam) at 8am daily. However, the first train from Baramulla station leaves at 7 am and, despite the official travel time of one hour between Baramulla and Srinagar, the train reaches Nowgam station around 8:20am which is 20 minutes after the Vande Bharat has already left.
This timing gap has left commuters from north Kashmir unable to connect to the high-speed Vande Bharat service via rail, forcing them to opt for road transport to Nowgam, often involving multiple vehicle changes and added travel stress. “We have to travel in cabs and change several vehicles en route to Nowgam station. It becomes a tedious and time-consuming process, especially in the morning hours,” said Faheem Ahmad, a commuter from Sopore town of Baramulla district.
The commuters have urged the railway authorities to revise the schedule of the first Baramulla-Srinagar train, suggesting it be advanced by at least 30 minutes. “If the time is rescheduled it would make it feasible for passengers to reach Srinagar station by 7:30m and can board the Vande Bharat express well in time,” he said. The passengers said that a simple adjustment by 30 minutes can make Vande Bharat accessible to a large population in north Kashmir. The commuters said the trains run slow as the tracks have developed some cracks and the train speed is not allowed to go beyond 60 km. “This is also a major reason why trains running from Baramulla station to Budgam do not have proper sync with the trains which depart from Budgam station towards Sangaldan,” said Faisal Bhat, a resident of Baramulla. The commuters further said that the northern railway authorities must increase the frequency of trains from Sangaldhan to Baramulla particularly in evening hours. “A train reaches at around 4:45pm at Srinagar station from Banihal/Sangaldan. After this the last train arrives at 7pm. “There is a gap of over two hours between the two trains. The last train reaches at around 8:30pm in Baramulla and it becomes difficult for the passengers to reach their homes,” Bhat said. The passengers said one additional train should run before the last train which will be convenient for the passengers. “We urge the railway authorities to look into the issues in the larger interest of the public,” he said. Chief Area Manager (CAM) Northern Railways, Saquib Yousuf when contacted said the issues will be looked into.
“I understand the issue of time gap and the condition of tracks. The matter will be looked into. The demand for increasing the frequency will be looked into,” he told Greater Kashmir.
