Srinagar, Jan 10: Jammu & Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) president Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari on Friday said that the upcoming Srinagar-Delhi train service should operate directly without requiring passengers to switch trains at Katra Railway Station.
Bukhari in a statement said, “I came across some disturbing news reports suggesting that the authorities have decided passengers on the proposed Srinagar-Delhi train will have to stop at the Mata Vaishno Devi Railway Station in Katra to change trains and continue their journey.”All passengers traveling to New Delhi from Srinagar or vice versa will have to get off at Katra station, leave the station, re-enter, and rescan their luggage at the departure lounge before boarding another train to continue their journey. This arrangement would be troubling and humiliating for the passengers,” he added.He said that rail authorities must employ alternative measures to ensure safety and security.To address security concerns, the railway authorities should use other measures to ensure complete security, instead of making passengers suffer by forcing them to change trains at Katra station,” he said.He added that “Amid much hype, people believed that the first-ever Srinagar-Delhi train service would be fast, seamless, and comfortable, and, above all, a direct train service. However, this is now being turned into a hectic and uncomfortable journey for passengers by requiring them to change trains midway”.
