While the Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra remained suspended for the sixth successive day, Northern Railways arranged special trains for hundreds of pilgrims stranded at Jammu and Katra following the suspension of the pilgrimage.
Although the movement of regular trains in the Jammu division remained suspended for the sixth consecutive day due to misalignment on Bridge-17 between Kathua and Madhopur, Northern Railways announced the operation of three special trains today to ferry stranded passengers.
According to an official spokesperson, the Northern Railway will operate three special trains from Jammu Station on August 31. These are:
Train No. 04674 (Jammu–New Delhi via Kathua, PTKC) departing JAT at 18:00 hrs
Train No. 04676 (Jammu–MAS Chennai via New Delhi) departing JAT at 16:00 hrs
Train No. 03152 (Jammu–Kolkata via Moradabad, Lucknow, Banaras) departing JAT at 14:00 hrs
A total of 51 trains to and from Jammu were cancelled today, while one was short-terminated and two others were short-originated. On Sunday, 59 trains will remain cancelled, including 25 from Jammu and 29 to Jammu, Katra, and Udhampur.
A special train ran on Saturday
Earlier on Saturday, Railway authorities arranged a special train to facilitate the movement of stranded tourists and passengers from Jammu to other parts of the country.
The special train operated from Jammu to DADN (Mhow), with stops at Ludhiana, New Delhi, Gwalior, and Bhopal.
The train included one coach of First AC, 2 coaches of Second AC, 4 coaches of Third AC, 2 coaches of Third AC Economy, 6 Sleeper Class coaches, and 4 General Class coaches.
The special train departed from Jammu at 3:00 PM on Saturday.
Mata Vaishno Devi Yatra Remains Suspended for Sixth Day
The Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board (SMVDSB), which manages the cave shrine, announced that the pilgrimage to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Trikuta Hills, Reasi district, remains suspended for the sixth successive day due to persistent adverse weather conditions and the aftermath of the devastating August 26 landslide.
The landslide, triggered by a cloudburst, claimed 34 lives and left 18 others injured, prompting authorities to suspend the Yatra to ensure the safety of pilgrims.
The SMVDSB clarified that the pilgrimage had been halted at noon on August 26, before the cloudburst, following a weather advisory—refuting allegations of negligence.
The old ascendancy track near Inderprastha Bhojanalaya, considered one of the safest stretches, was severely impacted by the landslide. Debris clearance and restoration work are ongoing to make the route safe for devotees. The Board reiterated that the Yatra will only resume once conditions are declared secure.
J&K Congress Demands Judicial Probe
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress has demanded a judicial probe into the recent landslide and cloudburst incident on the Mata Vaishno Devi track.
The demand was raised by Pradesh Congress Committee working president Raman Bhalla, former ministers Choudhary Lal Singh and Yogesh Sawhney, and former MLCs Ravinder Sharma and Ved Mahajan during a joint press conference.
Congress leaders dismissed Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha's announcement of a probe by a three-member high-level committee as an "eyewash," alleging that such committees are often formed to divert public attention from tragedies.
They reiterated that 34 pilgrims lost their lives and 20 others were injured in the Vaishno Devi landslide and pressed for accountability through a judicial investigation.
