Katra rail line fails to lessen burden of Jammu station

Amit Khajuria

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 1

Despite the extension of railway line up to Katra, the Jammu-Tawi Railway Station is overburdened. No train sourced from Jammu has been extended to Katra, even after six months of its inauguration.

The Jammu Tawi Railway Station bears the daily traffic of more than 35 trains. As it has only three platforms, authorities are forced to stop many trains on the outer when platforms are full.

Sources said the proposal of expansion of the Jammu Tawi Railway Station from three platforms to five, which was sanctioned three years ago and funds were released by the railway ministry, was rejected by the higher authorities. But later, the proposal was suspended claiming that Katra would cater to most of the trains.

Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Railway Station has advanced washing lines and can cater to more trains than Jammu Tawi, but the Railway Ministry has not extended even a single train to Katra even after six months of its inauguration by the Prime Minister on July 4, 2014. Only one train, Shri Shakti Express, goes to Katra.

“Railways authorities are wasting the potential of Katra railway station. The advanced infrastructure and hundreds of employees are waiting for the department to start more trains from Katra but instead the department is putting more burden on the Jammu Tawi Railway Station by starting more trains from there,” a source said.

Looking at the demand of passengers, the Railway had started another weekly train from Indore to Jammu Tawi from Monday, which would further burden Jammu Tawi.

Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) are also facing heavy rush these days, as passengers prefer to reach Katra by train only. Passengers who do not get ticket in Shri Shakti Express go to Jammu Tawi on some other train and then go to Katra in a DMU, which is creating trouble for the daily local passengers as well.

RN Meena, Divisional Traffic Manager (DTM), said “The authorities will soon start some new trains from Katra but till date I have no information about it.” “The proposal for expanding Jammu Tawi to five platforms was rejected but we are sending a new proposal for it,” the DTM said.