Train service between Srinagar, Banihal remain suspended for day 3

The train service between Srinagar and Banihal in Jammu region remained suspended for the third day owing to security reasons.

Services, which were to be resumed today, were further cancelled following fresh encounter between militants and security forces in Pulwama this morning.

During the past two days, the train service in south Kashmir remained suspended for security reasons following the killing of two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) local militants in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district July 30.

However, train service on Srinagar-Badgam in the central Kashmir to Baramulla in north was running as per schedule, a railway official told UNI.

All trains are running between central to north Kashmir smoothly, he said.

He said all trains running on Srinagar -Pulwama, Anantnag and Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region remained suspended.

''We were planning to run the train service from Srinagar to Banihal today,'' he said, adding that a fresh advisory has been received just now to suspend all train runs today also.

The decision to suspend the train service was taken on the advice of local authorities and police in view of apprehension of violence after two local militants were killed in a fierce encounter in Pulwama on July 30, triggering massive clashes between protestors and security forces in the south Kashmir district.

In the past, railway property has suffered massive damage during protests in the valley, where the train services remained suspended for about six months during summer unrest last year.

However, people shuttling daily between north to south via Srinagar or vice versa prefer train service which is being considered most dependable, cheap and safe mode of transport in the Kashmir valley, where frequent traffic jam is a daily routine.