SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
JAMMU, June 12
For the past three years, the Samba Railway Station has been facing a severe decline in passenger traffic due to the majority of trains bypassing the station. This situation has imposed significant hardships on the local populace, who are now compelled to rely on the more distant Kathua Railway Station for their travel needs.
The issue has intensified over the past few months, as passenger footfall has dwindled to the extent that local businesses, dependent on railway travelers, are experiencing near-total economic stagnation. The once-bustling station now sees little more than a trickle of passengers, causing severe financial strain for vendors and auto-rickshaw drivers operating in the vicinity.
Vinod Kumar, a local resident, highlighted the severe inconvenience faced by the community. “The local residents have made several representations to the authorities, but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears,” Vinod lamented. “The station is effectively non-functional, and local businesses are suffering.”
The station, described as a “white elephant” by many, has been under scrutiny since the inauguration of the Kathua Railway Station. The latter, with its more frequent train stoppages, has absorbed the bulk of the passenger traffic that previously would have passed through Samba.
This dramatic shift has not only disrupted daily commuting patterns but also stymied local commerce. Many small businesses that sprang up around the station to cater to passengers are now struggling to survive. Rickshaw drivers, in particular, find themselves without customers, their livelihoods hanging by a thread.
Despite numerous appeals to the railway authorities, there has been no concrete response or action plan. Local officials have acknowledged the problem, but the lack of a clear timeline for addressing these concerns has only added to the community’s frustration.
Local businesses, already grappling with the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, find the additional strain of an underutilized railway station particularly burdensome. Some have already shut down, while others are on the verge of collapse.
The people of Samba are calling for urgent intervention from the railway authorities. “We need immediate action,” urged Bishan Kumar. “Reinstating train stoppages at Samba Railway Station could transform our current predicament and restore the station to its former glory.”
As the community rallies for change, the hope remains that their voices will finally be heard and that the Samba Railway Station will once again become a vibrant hub of activity.
