Jammu

The Northern Railways on Monday started a shuttle service between Jammu and Katra, the base camp of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine, to facilitate the movement of locals and stranded passengers.

Four trains have been inducted in the Jammu-Katra section for the shuttle service that will operate from September 1 to 15.

"The shuttle service has been started between Jammu and Katra to facilitate the movement of daily passengers and stranded persons besides labourers engaged in restoration work," a Railway official said. These included government employees and students.

Rail traffic has remained suspended in the Jammu railway division for the past one week due to misalignment and breaches at multiple locations in the Pathankot-Jammu section following heavy rains and flash floods on August 26.

Over 50 trains were cancelled on Monday.

However, Railways has been running special trains to ferry stranded passengers to their destinations from Jammu over the past four days. A total of 5,784 stranded passengers have been ferried in seven trains from Jammu for their onward journey.

Scores of people, especially pilgrims, were stranded as heavy rains lashed the Jammu region since August 26, severely disrupting rail and road traffic.

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A landslide near the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra claimed 34 lives.