SRINAGAR: The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the mandatory deboarding of train passengers at Katra, calling it an unnecessary inconvenience that places an additional burden on travellers from Kashmir. Senior PDP leader and former law minister Syed Basharat Bukhari described the measure as a setback to the promise of improved connectivity and convenience that was touted as part of the Kashmir Rail Project in the post-Article 370 era.
In a statement, Bukhari highlighted the challenges faced by passengers, particularly the elderly and those travelling for medical treatment, due to the requirement to change trains at Katra. He argued that this measure undermines the project’s goal of transforming infrastructure in the region, making train travel less appealing. “This deboarding requirement has robbed the rail project of its essence, leaving passengers to prefer road travel over the inconvenience of train swaps,” he remarked.
Bukhari also questioned the necessity of the deboarding rule, suggesting that security checks could be conducted at the journey’s start to enhance passenger convenience. He urged the government to reconsider the decision, warning that the vision of connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country through rail may falter if such measures are not revisited.
