J&K terror attack: Railways to run 2nd special train from Katra to Delhi today

New Delhi: A second unreserved special train to New Delhi is scheduled to depart from Katra in Jammu division at 1:30 pm on Thursday to help stranded tourists reach their respective destinations, an official said.

"The second special train (04625) was initially planned to start from Katra at 10:50 am. However, after a discussion with the local authorities, it was rescheduled at 1:30 in the afternoon," Himanshu Upadhyay, chief public relations officer (CPRO), Northern Railway, said.

Like the first special train, the second train will also commence its journey from Shri Vaishno Devi Katra, and halt at several stations such as Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Panipat before terminating at the New Delhi Railway Station.

The Northern Railway operated the first unreserved special train from Katra to New Delhi on Wednesday for tourists who wanted to cut short their trip to Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam that killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists, on Tuesday.

The Indian Railways flung into action after reports suggested that several tourists at various places in Jammu wanted to return to their respected cities in the wake of the Pahalgam attack.

Railway officials said help desks have been opened at Jammu Tawi and Katra stations to assist passengers with train timings and services.

The Railways also released a helpline number for Jammu Tawi railway station -- 0191-2470116. People living in the Jammu region can also dial 1072 to get information about train services.

The helpline numbers for Katra and Udhampur railway stations are 01991-234876 and 7717306616, respectively.

Dilip Kumar, executive director, information and publicity, Ministry of Railways, said, "Helpdesks have been set up at Katra and Jammu railway stations along with a crowd management room in Jammu with CCTV feed. As many as 235 tourists have already been accommodated in various trains.