J&K Restrictions Eased: Trains, Mini Buses To Restart On Select Routes

The abrogation of Article 370 has led to the government imposing severe restrictions that are being gradually eased out.
Parts of railway and bus services are set to resume in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since August 5 when its special status was withdrawn and the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories.

Mini-buses began plying on some routes in the city on Monday while railways conducted two successful trial runs on the Srinagar-Baramulla stretch ahead of the resumption of the train service on Tuesday, officials said.

The train service has been suspended since 5 August when the Centre decided to abrogate Article 370 that granted special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. A separate bill was moved by the government to bifurcate the state into two UTs — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

The Centre’s decision led to an unannounced shutdown in the Valley even as authorities imposed severe restrictions which are being gradually eased out.

A railway official told PTI that railways conducted the trial run of the service for the first time in over three months since the shutdown in the valley.

“The train service on Srinagar-Baramulla stretch will resume tomorrow (Tuesday), while Srinagar-Banihal train service will resume in a few days after checking the track safety and conducting trial runs,” he said.

The railways conducted two successful trial runs on the stretch on Monday after conducting a thorough safety audit of the line.

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