Jammu, Jul 23 : The northern railway on Thursday operated a special train from Srinagar to Katra to facilitate the movement of more than 600 tourists and other passengers stranded in the Kashmir Valley due to slow traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway following heavy rainfall.

The special train was operated by the Jammu Division on the directions of Senior Divisional Commercial Manager Uchit Singhal to ensure safe and comfortable travel for stranded passengers, officials said.

The train departed from Srinagar railway station at 5.10 pm, halted at Banihal en route and was scheduled to reach Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra at 8.15 pm, they said.

Railway officials said the special service was introduced as an immediate measure to provide relief to passengers affected by disruptions on the highway and enable them to catch onward train connections from Katra and Jammu Tawi.

Singhal said passenger safety and convenience remained the division’s top priority and the decision to operate the special train was taken promptly in view of the adverse weather conditions and slow road traffic.

He advised passengers to check the latest train status through the NTES mobile application, the IRCTC website or the Railway helpline 139 before commencing their journey.

Officials said the Jammu Division has been operating special trains from time to time to ensure better connectivity and minimise inconvenience to passengers during emergencies and adverse weather conditions.