Jammu: To facilitate the travel of pilgrims during the upcoming Somvati Amavasya, the Northern Railway’s Jammu division will operate a special train service between Katra and Haridwar next week, an official said on Tuesday.
The special train (No. 04606) will depart from Katra in Jammu and Kashmir at 6.15 pm on June 14 and arrive in Uttarakhand’s Haridwar at 6.30 am the following day. On the return journey, Train No. 04605 will leave Haridwar at 5.20 pm on June 15 and reach Katra at 7 am the next day, a railway spokesperson said.
He said the service will be operated as a fully reserved special train and only one round trip has been scheduled to cater to the expected rush of devotees during Somvati Amavasya.
A total of 16 coaches will be attached, including Sleeper, General, AC 3-Tier and AC 2-Tier coaches, the spokesperson said, adding the train will halt at major stations en route, including Martyr Captain Tushar Mahajan, Jammu Tawi, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur and Roorkee.
Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu Uchit Singhal said the special train has been arranged as Somvati Amavasya witnesses a significant surge in the number of devotees visiting the revered Vaishno Devi shrine atop Trikuta hills in Katra town of Reasi district.
“A huge increase in the number of devotees is witnessed on Somvati Amavasya for visiting Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. This special train is being run with the objective of facilitating passengers and managing the extra rush,” he said.
Singhal requested passengers to make reservations immediately and travel only with a valid ticket.
Passengers can contact 139 for information regarding ticket availability and reservation status, he said.
