Anantnag railway station is a railway station serving the town of Anantnag in the Anantnag district of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, India. It lies on the Banihal–Baramulla line, the railway corridor running through the Kashmir Valley, and is operated by Northern Railway, a zone of Indian Railways.
Key facts
| Name | Anantnag railway station |
|---|---|
| Station code | ANT |
| Location | Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India |
| Line | Banihal–Baramulla line |
| Operator | Northern Railway, Indian Railways |
| Track gauge | 1,676 mm (Indian broad gauge) |
| Electrification | Yes |
Background
The station is part of the railway network developed in the Kashmir Valley as a section of the larger Jammu–Baramulla line project, sanctioned by the Government of India as a national project. The Valley line was constructed in stages to provide all-weather rail connectivity to a region whose road links through the Pir Panjal range are frequently disrupted by snow and landslides.
History
Train services on the Kashmir Valley section between Anantnag and Rajwansher commenced on 11 October 2008, when the first stretch of the Valley line was opened to public traffic. The line was subsequently extended in both directions, southwards towards Qazigund and northwards towards Baramulla, with Anantnag functioning as one of the principal intermediate stations.
With the completion of the Banihal–Qazigund tunnel in 2013, the Valley network was joined with the railhead at Banihal on the Jammu side of the Pir Panjal. The eventual opening of the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link connected the Kashmir Valley network, and thus Anantnag, to the rest of the Indian Railways system.
Layout and services
The station has multiple platforms with standard passenger amenities including waiting halls, ticketing facilities and a foot overbridge. It principally handles DEMU and MEMU services running along the Valley between Banihal and Baramulla, with stops at Qazigund, Sadura, Bijbehara, Anantnag, Awantipora, Pampore, Srinagar and intermediate halts.
Significance
Anantnag is among the busier stations on the Kashmir Valley line, serving south Kashmir and acting as a feeder point for travellers to Pahalgam, the Amarnath pilgrimage route, and other destinations in the region. The rail link has reduced dependence on the often-disrupted National Highway 44 for short-distance travel within the Valley.
Related topics
- Banihal–Baramulla line
- Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link
- Northern Railway zone
- Anantnag
- Rail transport in Jammu and Kashmir
References
- Wikidata: Q16245105
- Indian Railways, Northern Railway zonal information.