Northern Railway's Jammu division completes monsoon preparedness for safe train operations

Jammu, Jul 6 (PTI) The Jammu division of Northern Railway has completed track and bridge maintenance works and put in place extensive safety measures ahead of the monsoon to ensure safe and uninterrupted train operations, officials said. The division has prepared a special action plan, with passenger safety as the top priority, in accordance with detailed monsoon guidelines issued by the Northern Railway headquarters, they said. The officials said that all bridges and tunnels under the division have been thoroughly inspected before the onset of the monsoon. Side drains and catch-water drains at stations, railway yards and along the tracks have also been cleaned to facilitate proper drainage, they said. Landslide and waterlogging-prone locations have been identified, with round-the-clock deployment of watchmen and patrol staff to monitor vulnerable stretches, they said. The division has stocked emergency materials, including boulders, sandbags and wooden needle tie sleepers, at designated locations to facilitate temporary restoration of tracks in the event of damage during heavy rains, they said. Special monitoring systems have also been installed at identified bridges for continuous surveillance of water levels and scour levels, while protection and repair works on bridges damaged during the previous monsoon have been completed, the officials said. Divisional Railway Manager Jammu, Vivek Kumar, said all departments were working in close coordination to ensure safe rail operations during the monsoon season. "Our technical staff and disaster management teams are fully prepared and on alert to respond to any emergency," he said. The railway authorities have advised passengers to keep track of weather-related updates while travelling and contact the Rail Madad helpline 139 for assistance, if required. PTI AB AB SHS SHS