Train services resume in Kashmir

Train services resumed this morning after remaining suspended for a day due to security reasons in the Kashmir valley, where Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Abu Ismail and his associate Abu Qasim were killed in an encounter with security forces on the outskirts of Srinagar on September 14.

''We have resumed all train runs today,'' a senior Railway official told UNI.

He said train runs started between Srinagar-Badgam in the central Kashmir and Baramulla in north.        Similarly, trains will chug on Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region, much to the delight of thousands of passengers.

The official said train services are being suspended or resumed only on the advice of local authorities and police. ''We got an advisory last night to resume  the train today which had been suspended yesterday for the security and safety of railway property and passengers.

''Hundreds of passengers, who arrived at different railway stations yesterday, had to use other modes of transport to reach their destination after learning that trains have been suspended despite the fact that there was no strike call from any separatist organisation.''

People claimed that train service besides being safe is also very cheap and fast  as compared to other modes of transport in the valley, where frequent traffic jam is a daily routine.  People travelling from Jammu to Srinagar also use train service from Banihal to Srinagar because of frequent traffic jam.

The service was frequently suspended in August and this month too for security reasons. Last year, the rail service remained suspended for about six months due to summer unrest.