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| 100 Days After Kashmir Shutdown, Train Services Resume Between Baramulla and Srinagar | | | Limited rail services in Kashmir resumed on Tuesday for the first time in three months after being suspended due to security reasons in view of the Centre's decision to abrogate Article 370.
A railway official told PTI that a train ran between Baramulla and Srinagar this morning.
He said the train made only two trips on the Baramulla-Srinagar stretch as authorities have directed the Railways to ply trains between 10 am and 3 pm only due to security reasons.
Few mini-buses also plied on the Batwara-Batamaloo route through the city centre, while inter-district cabs and auto-rickshaws plied in the city and elsewhere in the valley. Private transport was plying unhindered, officials said.
The Railways conducted the trial run of the service on the stretch on Monday for the first time in since August 5 when the Valley was put under lockdown. The train service was suspended due to security reasons hours before the Centre announced its decision to withdraw Jammu and Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union territories.
The service has resumed as the Centre is lifting restrictions in the newly-formed UT in a phased manner.
The official said the Srinagar-Banihal stretch of the railway line would resume in a few days after checking track safety and conducting trial runs.
The self-imposed shutdown in the valley completed 100 days on Tuesday even as authorities put severe restrictions which were later gradually eased out.
The markets have been following a new pattern of functioning, opening early morning till around the noon and then downing their shutters to join the protest against abrogation of the special status of the state, officials said.
They accused miscreants and militants of using fear-mongering to put down any resistance to the current shutdown by threatening shopkeepers and businessmen.
The officials said two grenade attacks in the city's busy Goni Khan market and Kaka Sarai areas were an indication that there were concerted efforts to keep the shutdown going.
Pre-paid mobile phones and all internet services continued to remain suspended since 5 August.
Most of the top-level and second-rung separatist politicians have been taken into preventive custody while mainstream leaders including two former chief ministers -- Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti -- have been either detained or placed under house arrest.
The government has also detained former chief minister and sitting Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar Farooq Abdullah under the controversial Public Safety Act. |
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