Several Trains Cancelled Amid Heavy Rains In Jammu

JAMMU: Relentless heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours has thrown life out of gear in Jammu, with the Northern Railway cancelling 18 trains on Tuesday to and from Katra, Udhampur and Jammu railway stations, officials said.

The region has been witnessing its heaviest downpour in decades since Monday night. The rain has damaged bridges, submerged vast stretches of land and cut off road connectivity, forcing residents in vulnerable areas to move to safer ground.

Traffic on the Jammu–Srinagar and Kishtwar–Doda national highways has been suspended, while several hilly roads remain blocked due to landslides and flash floods. As a precaution, the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine has also been halted.

“Eighteen trains have been cancelled and four others short-terminated in view of the prevailing weather conditions,” a railway official said. Of the trains affected, seven originated from Katra — the base camp for the Vaishno Devi shrine — two from Udhampur and one from Jammu, officials added.

Train services between Pathankot and Kandrori in Himachal Pradesh have also been suspended following heavy soil erosion and flash floods along the Chakki river. Four trains were short-terminated at Firozpur, Manda and Chak Rakhwalan, even as movement continued on the Katra–Srinagar route.