Rail service resumes in Kashmir

Srinagar, Sept 28: Rail service has been resumed on Thursday morning after remaining suspended on Wednesday for security reasons in the Kashmir valley, where a top militant was killed by security forces on September 26, in an encounter near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri in Baramulla district. Train service was also suspended on September 25, when there was strike called by traders and transporters, supported by separatists in protest against summoning more people by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with terror funding. However, the service was resumed on September 26 only to be suspended again yesterday. "We have again resumed all train runs in the Kashmir valley today", a senior railway official told UNI on Thursday morning. He said, "a fresh advisory was received late last night from the police to resume the train service in the valley." According to him, train run between Srinagar-Badgam in the central Kashmir to Baramulla in north and Srinagar-Anantnag-Qazigund in south Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu region route have been resumed on Thursday morning. "We are acting as per directions from the police", he said adding decision to suspend or resume train service depend upon the advisory from the police and administration who are taking decision keeping in view the security of the passengers. The authorities had apprehension on Wednesday that there would be trouble ,following the killing of most wanted top militant Qayoum Najar in Boniya area on Uri sector in north Kashmir. However, there was no strike call from any organisation against the killing of Najar. Train service has become very popular in the Kashmir valley, where people prefer it against other modes of transport as train service is very cheap, safe and fast. People travelling by road between Srinagar and Jammu also use train service operating between Banihal and Srinagar. In the past railway property, including stations and trains, suffered massive damages in violence in the valley. However, during 2016 summer unrest train service remained suspended for six months. UNI