Title - Railways rejects proposal for more trains

Srinagar: The Northern Railways has rejected the proposal for arranging more trains for three days during the Eid festivity.The railway officials in Kashmir had recently written to the Northern Railways seeking approval for running more trains for three days from October 28 to cater to the huge rush on Eid.“They have rejected our proposal,” said an official at railway official. “Since Sunday, a day after the Eid, we managed the rush in a better way unlike the past when we faced a lot of problems,” he added.During the Eid-ul-Fitr festivity in August, many trains were damaged as the passengers could not get seats in the trains. Keeping in view the past experience, the railway officials had proposed to Northern Railways to allow them to cancel the maintenance schedule of the already plying trains in the Valley for three days so as to increase the number of trains during the festival days. But the proposal was rejected. The railway officials said on Monday nearly 9,000 passengers travelled in trains and today the rush was more.“On an average, 7,000 passengers travel between Qazigund in south Kashmir and Baramulla in north Kashmir. But due to the Eid festivity, the rush picks up as most of the other modes of public transport are usually not available across the Valley,” he said.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had inaugurated the Valley's first phase of rail service between Anantnag and Budgam district on October 11, 2008.

The second phase of train between Budgam and Baramulla was flagged off by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi on February 14, 2009, followed by the third phase between Anantnag and Qazigund by the Prime Minister on October 28, 2009. The train service, which is a hit in the Valley, is still to be connected with the rest of the country.