Latest news with #JammuTaviSpecial
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Will wait and see, say J&K students on special train in Delhi
As the special train from Jammu pulled into New Delhi Railway Station late Friday night, a quiet sense of relief spread through the crowds of evacuees disembarking with bags in hand and plans to finally return home. Among them were students, tourists and Army families who had rushed out of Jammu after days of escalating tensions and missile strikes along the border. But with the announcement of a ceasefire on Saturday evening, many are now preparing to make their way home or back to their universities — albeit cautiously. 'I am still going home,' said Afsana Sheikh, a 20-year-old master's student from Kerala who had boarded the Jammu Tavi Special train with her friend Akshay Kumar, also 20. 'There's only an announcement about a ceasefire. We will wait to see what our college says. But for now, I'm going to my family. I'm still scared. I hope nobody breaches the ceasefire.' The two had decided to leave their university in Jammu when drone sightings and missile alerts near a hospital shook their neighbourhood. 'It was impossible to stay calm. We were trying to get on any train out,' said Kumar, who added that while he plans to return for exams, he would wait a few days to assess the situation. 'If the government says the war is over, they must be sure about it. I'll go back once others start returning too,' he said. 'My parents are worried, but I think we are okay now.' More special trains were announced by Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday to help clear the exodus. Northern Railways spokesperson Himanshu Shekhar Upadhyay said additional trains from Jammu Tawi to Delhi were arranged to handle the 'extra rush'. Some like Arya, a 21-year-old undergraduate student from Kerala, were already planning their next move. 'Forty of us from the Central University of Jammu are heading home together,' she said. 'We'll take a connecting train soon. Our exams are suspended, and this was the safest choice.' She described the night before the journey as chaotic and frightening. 'We were locked inside our dorm. No one dared look out the window. There were sirens, blackouts, drones overhead. My parents were calling nonstop,' she said. 'Even in the morning as we left, there were missile alerts.' These experiences, however, occurred before foreign secretary Vikram Misri announced that all military action between India and Pakistan would cease from 5pm on Saturday. Others echoed the same feeling: shaken, but now trying to resume normalcy. Tourists stranded in Udhampur and Katra also packed into the trains. 'We had given up hope,' said Mouly, 27, who was visiting Katra with a friend. 'There were no cabs, no flights, no taxis. We had to walk to the station with our luggage. The moment we got on the train, I felt I could breathe again.' Some were less sure about what came next. Army families from cantonment areas — who were among those asked to evacuate due to targeted shelling — said they were grateful for the escape but concerned about those left behind. Neetu Yadav, whose husband is a naik in the Indian Army, was received at NDLS by her brother, her daughter clutching her tightly. 'I didn't want to leave, but we were told to. I just hope this ceasefire holds,' she said. Her fears were echoed by Urmila Devi, whose husband is posted as a havildar. 'We left after nights of sirens and silence, followed by more sirens. Civilians were being targeted. We've reached safety, but others are still stuck.' For now, the mood among most passengers was one of cautious optimism — the worst may have passed, but for now they remain clinging to hope that the fragile peace holds.
Hindustan Times
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Op Sindoor: Special train from Jammu arrives in Delhi with students, tourists, army families
Hundreds of stranded tourists and families from Jammu and Kashmir arrived at New Delhi Railway Station late Friday night on a special train arranged for civilians who were escaping the missile strikes and drone attacks by Pakistan amid the ensuing border conflict. Students, tourists and families rushed to Delhi as Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced four special trains from Jammu on Friday. The Jammu Tavi Special reached Delhi's NDLS around 11.55 pm. Arya (no last name), a 21-year-old student from Central University of Jammu, said her parents have been calling her for the last two days. 'We were all in college and had not received any instructions on what to do. But what happened on Friday shook us. There were sirens, complete blackout, drones and missiles in the air and hardly any network. We thought we were all going to die. We decided to leave and when we found the special train, we immediately booked our seats. Our exams have been suspended, but we just escaped in the morning. It was difficult to get a bus to the railway station. The train was delayed. Even in the morning, it was scary. We heard several missiles were there. We had just locked ourselves in our dorm earlier and didn't step out. None of us even dared to look at the window.' Arya said she will now plan her journey to her hometown in Kerala with 40 other students from the state who were studying at Central University of Jammu. Afsana Sheikh (20), a botany student, and her friend Akshay Kumar (20) said the situation is getting worse. 'We have been receiving calls from civilians and our friends. Nobody is stepping out because of the serial attacks. We are just scared. The drones were seen close to a hospital near our campus. The train was supposed to leave at 10.45 am but left at 1 pm. For those 2 hours, I was sweating due to fear. I was just praying to get out and hoping that the train doesn't get cancelled. It was difficult to leave our college. We could see missile-like objects in the sky. All flights were cancelled. We couldn't leave immediately,' they said. Several tourists in Udhampur and neighbouring cities also rushed to catch the train and leave as they had been stranded for days. Mouly (27) and her friend had reached Katra and later travelled to Udhampur last week. 'We thought everything would get over in a day or two. And decided to stay. It was the worst decision we made. All I could see was firing from the hotel window. I don't know what it was. It felt like bombs were being dropped. My parents told me to come home but the airport had shut down. I had lost hope as only a few regular trains were available. Thankfully, I found the special train in time. I couldn't get a cab, taxi or anything. We had to take our bags, cover our heads and walk on the streets. We managed to reach the railway station. I just want to go home and hug my mother,' she said. The special train was also booked by army families who were made to leave Army Cantonment because of the attacks. Neetu Yadav held her 7-year-old daughter and cried as her brother received her at NDLS. Her husband is posted as a naik in Indian Army. 'I didn't want to leave but the situation at Army Cantt was getting worse. Pakistan was continuously attacking the Cantt area. Nobody was safe. We were told to leave. I felt so helpless leaving my husband. But I'm proud of him. None of us suffered any harm because he's fighting at the the border I know God will protect him. I was scared because there were no lights, weak internet and drone attacks. My mother and in-laws were calling us after they saw the news on TV. We are now going to Farrukhabad,' she said. Urmila Devi (40), whose husband is posted as a havildar in the Indian Army, said, 'We couldn't sleep because of the sirens and missiles. After the attack, there was this complete silence in the air and then again, we would hear sirens and firing. Civilians are suffering because of Pakistan. They are targetting residential colonies. I hope the war gets over soon. I have so many friends who are stranded and can't leave. Not everyone has a bunker and can get killed.'
