Overview
- Officials said the special passenger service operates for 15 days starting September 19 between Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra and Banihal.
- The train departs Banihal at 11:00 and reaches Katra at 13:30, then leaves Katra at 13:45 and arrives Banihal at 16:10, stopping at Reasi, Bakkal, Dugga, Sawalkot, Sangaldan, Sumber and Khari.
- A second short-term service is running on the Katra–Budgam section, joining an earlier Katra–Sangaldan local to create three flood-relief trains on the corridor.
- Railway managers said the specials were approved after requests from residents and the state administration to ensure safe travel while road services remain suspended.
- Parcel trains continue to carry fruit from Kashmir to Delhi as growers face losses, and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked for more such services while the BRO’s temporary Tharad bypass handles diverted trucks.