Railway Alert: 52 Trains Cancelled After Heavy Rains & Flooding, Passengers Face Hours of Uncertainty Across Jammu-Punjab

Heavy rains and flash floods have badly affected normal life in Jammu and Punjab. Rail traffic has been hit the most, with tracks damaged and waterlogged in several areas. The Northern Railways on Thursday, August 29 announced the cancellation of 52 trains on the Jammu route. Many trains had to be stopped midway, leaving thousands of passengers stranded.

According to officials, the decision was taken after reports of soil subsidence and waterlogging on railway tracks. The Railway Safety Department is closely monitoring the situation. However, services are expected to take time before returning to normal.

Major Trains Cancelled

Several popular and long-distance trains have been cancelled. These include Vande Bharat Express (26406-05), 22462 Shri Shakti Superfast Express, Shalimar Express, Bhagat Ki Kothi–Jammutavi Express, Ajmer–Jammu Pooja Express, and Kanpur–Jammu Tawi Express.

Other long-route trains like Howrah–Jammu Tawi, New Delhi–Vaishno Devi Katra, Amritsar–Vaishno Devi Katra, and Kolkata Terminal–Jammu Tawi have also been cancelled until further notice.

The worst affected are trains to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. Services such as Kalka–Katra, Rishikesh–Katra, Subedarganj–Katra, Ghazipur City–Katra, Dr. Ambedkar Nagar–Katra, Kanyakumari–Katra, and Jammu Tawi–Baroni Junction have been cancelled.

For lakhs of devotees who visit Vaishno Devi every year, this disruption has come as a big setback. Many pilgrims returning from the shrine are among those stranded.

To provide relief, Northern Railways started special trains from Jammu on Thursday. Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Jammu, said the first special train, Jammu–Banaras (02238), left at 3.45 pm with around 1,200 to 1,400 passengers.

Later, a second special train, Jammu–New Delhi (04680), departed at 5.45 pm with 1,200 passengers. Railway officials said passengers expressed happiness over the quick response of the railways in such difficult times.

Situation Worsens on Roads

Apart from railways, road connectivity in Jammu has also collapsed. National Highways, including Jammu–Srinagar and Jammu–Pathankot, are badly damaged. Several internal roads are blocked, and many bridges have collapsed, bringing road traffic to a halt.

On Wednesday alone, Railways had cancelled 58 trains and short-terminated 64 others due to extensive track and bridge damage.

Tragedy at Vaishno Devi

The heavy rainfall has also led to a major tragedy in Katra. On Tuesday, a landslide killed 34 people near the Vaishno Devi shrine. Katra recorded 284 mm of rain within 24 hours on Wednesday, the highest in recent years.

Food and Shelter for Stranded Passengers

With hundreds of passengers stuck at railway stations, officials arranged food, water, and medical help. At Katra station, railway staff even set up a community kitchen to feed stranded pilgrims.

Officials said it may take several days before train services are restored. Meanwhile, passengers have been advised to check real-time train status on railway helplines, websites, or apps before planning travel.