Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Thursday flagged off two more passenger trains at Anantnag railway station.With the addition of these two trains, the train services will now reach to 26 in a day, and these two trains will have limited stops between Baramulla and Banihal.After inaugurating the two trains at 3.30 pm, Mehbooba undertook train journey up to Baramulla herself in the new service. Besides Mehbooba, Dy CM Nirmal Singh, MP Muzaffar Baig, R&B minister Abdul Rehman Veeri, PDP general secretary Sartaj Madni were also present during the flagging off.A parallel function was held in Railway Board in New Delhi where Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabu flagged off the trains through video conferencing. Besides union minister Dr Jitendra Singh, all the MPs from Jammu and Kashmir were present.
Chief public relation officer (CPRO), Northern Railways, Neeraj Sharma had told KNS on Wednesday New six days a week DEMU train no 74617/74618 between Budgam – Baramula & 74619/74620 fast DEMU train between Banihal–Baramula will be introduced on Thursday,” Sharma said.
He said that the trains will be 8-coaches with the same speed that are already running on the track but will have limited stops.“Four more service will get added with these two more trains, with two services to ferry passengers from Banihal to Budgam and another two from Budgam to Baramulla,” Sharma had told KNS over phone.
Sharma said that the introduction of these two trains will reduce the travel time and also the rush of passengers during peak hours. Out of the 17 stations between Banihal and Baramulla, the trains will halt at Banihal, Qazigund, Anantnag, Srinagar, Budgam, Mazhom, Pattan, Hamre, Sopore and Baramulla, he said.With the introduction of these trains time table of other trains will change with effect from May 6 (Friday), which will be announced on Thursday. (KNS)