In the aftermath of the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam’s Baisaran Valley, Kashmir witnessed an exodus of tourists. People from across the country who came on a vacation to the Valley were seen leaving the region for their hometowns, cutting their trips short in the backdrop of the terrorist attack that took away 26 lives. To facilitate their return, a second unreserved special train to New Delhi is scheduled to depart from Katra in Jammu division at 1:30 pm on Thursday
This aims to help stranded tourists reach their respective destinations, an official said. "The second special train (04625) was initially planned to start from Katra at 10:50 am. However, after a discussion with the local authorities, it was rescheduled at 1:30 in the afternoon," Himanshu Upadhyay, chief public relations officer (CPRO), Northern Railway, said.
Similar to the first special train, the second train will start from Shri Vaishno Devi Katra and make stops at Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ambala, Kurukshetra, and Panipat, before arriving at its final destination, the New Delhi Railway Station.
The Northern Railway operated the first special train from Katra to Delhi on Wednesday after numerous tourists expressed a desire to cut their trips short and return home due to safety concerns following the Pahalgam attack.
Railways set up help desks and helpline numbers to assist tourists
The Railways have set up help desks and released helpline numbers to support affected tourists. Help desks have been set up at Jammu Tawi and Katra stations to assist with train schedules and passenger services.
The helpline number for Jammu Tawi is 0191-2470116, while those in the Jammu region can also call 1072 for train-related queries. For Katra and Udhampur, the helpline numbers are 01991-234876 and 7717306616, respectively.
Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Ministry of Railways, stated, "Helpdesks have been set up at Katra and Jammu railway stations, along with a crowd management room in Jammu with CCTV feed. As many as 235 tourists have already been accommodated in various trains."
The Railways continues to monitor the situation and coordinate with local authorities to ensure the safe departure of tourists seeking to leave the region.
(With PTI inputs)
