The Jammu division of Northern Railway has made extensive arrangements at Jammu Tawi railway station to facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims arriving for the annual Shri Amarnath Yatra, officials said on Friday.
More than 12,000 pilgrims had darshan of the naturally formed ice 'Shivling' at the Amarnath cave shrine on the opening day of the 57-day annual pilgrimage on Friday, officials said.
Uchit Singhal, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) for Jammu, inspected the railway station with a team of commercial and operating officers to assess facilities provided to pilgrims and review preparedness for the annual pilgrimage.
Officials set up a spacious, fully covered passenger holding area within the station premises to accommodate hundreds of devotees. They said the area is equipped with seating, lighting, fans, coolers and drinking water facilities, while round-the-clock housekeeping staff are deployed to maintain cleanliness.
To ensure an uninterrupted water supply during the peak travel season, railway authorities have strengthened arrangements for timely water replenishment on platforms.
Railway personnel, assisted by Scouts and Guides, established a 24/7 help desk at the station to provide information on train schedules, platform details, medical assistance and other passenger services, they said.The railway administration has enhanced crowd management and security measures.
Senior railway supervisors, additional ticket-checking staff, commercial personnel and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel have been deployed round the clock.Officials said CCTV surveillance has been intensified, with continuous monitoring from the railway's control room, and additional security personnel are stationed at the premises. As part of infrastructure augmentation, platforms 4 and 5 at Jammu Tawi Railway Station have been commissioned for train operations.
Officials said the train was operated from the newly commissioned platform on Friday.
Regular public announcements are being made to keep passengers informed about train schedules and platform details, they said.
During the inspection, Singhal directed all departments to work in close coordination and ensure courteous behaviour towards pilgrims. The railway administration appealed to devotees to undertake the pilgrimage only after completing mandatory registration, purchasing tickets from authorised railway counters, avoiding accepting food or drinks from strangers, refraining from overcrowding on platforms, and contacting the station help desk or Rail Madad Helpline 139 for any assistance.
Northern Railway's Jammu division said it remains committed to providing safe, comfortable and hassle-free travel to pilgrims undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra.
The Amarnath Yatra began early morning, simultaneously via the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in the Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in the Ganderbal district.
Around 12,100 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,800-metre-high cave shrine in the south Kashmir Himalayas. The pilgrims included about 9,350 men, 2,250 women, over 200 children, 70 sadhus, nine transgender devotees, and more than 260 security personnel, officials said.