Heavy Rains Disrupt Rail Traffic In Jammu Region, 18 Trains Cancelled

The Northern Railway has cancelled 18 trains to and from Katra, Udhampur and Jammu railway stations on Tuesday as relentless heavy rain wreaked havoc in the Jammu region, officials said.

The Jammu region has been experiencing its heaviest rainfall in decades since Monday night, which damaged bridges, disrupted road connectivity and inundated large tracts of land, forcing people to shift to safer areas.

The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar and Kishtwar-Doda national highways was suspended, while dozens of hilly roads were blocked or damaged by landslides or flash floods, the officials said, adding the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was also suspended as a precautionary measure.

A railway official said, '"Eighteen trains have been cancelled. Four trains have been subjected to short terminations. This has been done in view of the weather conditions prevailing in the region."

Of the trains cancelled, seven are from Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, two from Udhampur and one from Jammu, the officials said, adding that trains to Katra and Udhampur have also been cancelled.

Train services from Pathankot to Kandrori in Himachal Pradesh have also been suspended due to heavy soil erosion and flash floods on the Chakki river, according to railway officials.

Four trains were short-terminated at Firozpur, Manda and Chak Rakhwalan, they said, adding that movement of trains on the Katra-Srinagar stretch was continuing.