| Four new trains for Valley To ply on existing routes; capacity of few trains to be augmented by railgenie on 08 November, 2012 - 06:00 PM | ||
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 railgenie | Four new trains for Valley To ply on existing routes; capacity of few trains to be augmented on 08 November, 2012 - 06:00 PM | |
Srinagar: Overwhelmed by the response of train commuters in Kashmir over the past four years, the Indian railways is set to introduce four new trains in the Kashmir valley.While one new train comprising eight coaches has already arrived in Budgam, three more are likely to come to the Valley in the next four months.Northern Railways’ Chief Area Manager, Budgam, AK Sharma said the date for plying the new train that has arrived was yet to be finalised.“A new train has arrived here and shortly it will start plying,” Sharma said, adding that the dates for plying the train were yet to be finalised.Sources said eight coaches of the new train, which was manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, reached Budgam recently and the Railway officials were now waiting for the company staff to attach these coaches.“Next week, staff from the ICF, Chennai, will reach here and it will take nearly two months for attaching these coaches. Once these coaches are attached, the trial of the new train will be conducted.Meanwhile, our more staff will come and by January one more train should be operational,” said the Railway sources.“Once this train becomes operational, more trains will ply between Qazigund in south Kashmir to Baramulla in north Kashmir,” he said, adding that by March three more trains would be added to the train fleet in Kashmir.The officer said the capacity of few trains would also be increased from eight coaches to 12 to cater to the rush of commuters.The trains of Kashmir are yet to be connected with the rest of the country and they ply between Qazigund and Baramulla - a distance of 119 kilometres.The first train starts in the morning from south Kashmir’s Qazigund station to Srinagar and another leaves central Kashmir’s Budgam station for Baramulla station in north Kashmir.Around 7,000 passengers travel everyday during the autumn season and in summers 9,000 passengers travel by train in the Valley. At present, 10 trains ply between Qazigund and Baramulla.The first phase of rail services between Anantnag and Budgam districts was inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 11, 2008.The second phase of train services 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 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on October 28, 2009. | ||