Lucknow, May 10 -- At a time when trains to the north are typically packed beyond capacity, the Jammu-bound trains from Lucknow are now running with hundreds of vacant seats. This rare development during the summer rush is being attributed to rising tension along the India-Pakistan border following Operation Sindoor.
What once was a travel route with lengthy waiting lists now tells a story of growing unease and uncertainty.
Railway data accessed by this reporter reveals a stunning drop in bookings. On Friday, the Jammu Tawi Summer Special (04609) had over 125 vacant berths.
Even more striking, as many as 557 seats in the Third AC Economy class remain unbooked for May 16, with
similar vacancies observed on subsequent dates - 496, 531, 54...