Jammu: To meet the anticipated festival rush and facilitate passenger movement, the Northern Railway’s Jammu division will operate three special trains connecting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Jammu Tawi, Varanasi and New Delhi from next month.
Terming the decision a “big gift” to rail passengers, a railway spokesperson said the operation of the three reserved trains will help clear the extra rush and waiting list during Dussehra, Diwali and Chhath Puja.
“The Railway has decided to operate three pairs of reserved festival special trains via Jammu Division. The operation of these trains will not only make it easier for passengers to secure confirmed tickets but will also ensure a more comfortable and safe journey,” the spokesman said.
He said the first train, 04604/04603 Katra-Varanasi-Katra Special, will make nine trips in each direction.
The train departing from Katra will run every Sunday from October 4 to November 29, at 6:15 PM, while the train departing from Varanasi will run every Tuesday from October 6 to December 1 at 4:30 AM, the spokesman said.
He further said that the train will halt at Jammu Tawi, Pathankot Cantt, Jalandhar Cantt, Ludhiana, Ambala Cantt, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Bareilly, Alamnagar, Rae Bareli and Pratapgarh, among other stations.
The spokesman said the second train, 04610/04609 Jammu Tawi-Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Special, will also make nine trips in each direction.
Train 04610 will run every Thursday from October 1 to November 26, while 04609 will operate every Friday from October 2 to November 27, providing additional connectivity to passengers from Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ambala, Saharanpur, Moradabad, Shahjahanpur, Lucknow and Sultanpur.
The third train, 04081/04082 New Delhi-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Festival Special, will make four trips in each direction to meet the Dussehra rush.
Train 04081 will operate on October 8, 9, 10 and 11, while 04082 will run on October 9, 10, 11 and 12, providing direct connectivity between New Delhi and Katra.
The spokesman said these trains will directly connect two of the most important religious places in North India, besides providing direct and fast connectivity to commuters from Delhi, Haryana and Punjab.
He said running of these trains would reduce pressure on regular trains and will provide relief to passengers from the rush for tickets during festivals.