With sharp drop in temperature across Kashmir, thousands of commuters travelling in Banihal-Baramulla trains are facing hardships due to broken windowpanes.
The Railways property was damaged on July 20 when youth indulged in stone throwing and extensive vandalism on the trains resulting in breakage of windowpanes, damage to back rest of seats and tearing off of seat covers.
Due to the broken windowpanes, commuters, especially women and children travelling in the trains these days, are facing a lot of inconvenience.
“Due to delay in installing the new panes, it is becoming really difficult to commute in trains as the temperatures have gone really down after the upper reaches received snowfall,” Imtiyaz Ahmed, a bank employee, said
At present the trains that chug in Kashmir make over 20 trips between Baramulla and Banihal and most of these trips are made from Budgam to Banihal. Almost 20,000 people travel daily in these trains.
Almost every coach has a damaged windowpane. A Railway official in Kashmir said they had begun the process to install the windowpanes that were damaged by youth.
“We have started the process to replace all broken windowpanes and it will take some time,” said an official of the Railways in Srinagar.
“We have been frequently appealing the citizens to discourage and prevent anti-social elements indulging in mindless vandalism of trains as it is counter-productive and benefits no one,” he added.
