Overview
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the proposals were placed in abeyance after objections from the J&K government and MPs.
- Party leaders said the sidelined routes include the Bijbehara–Pahalgam link and the Awantipora–Shopian corridor, with surveys earlier sanctioned alongside Sopore–Kupwara in 2023.
- Growers and civic groups warned the alignments could fell about seven lakh apple trees in Shopian and Pulwama, threatening livelihoods in a sector employing roughly 33 lakh people.
- The National Conference and the PDP welcomed the decision as relief for farmers, while orchardists in surveyed villages described palpable reprieve.
- Shopian MLA Ali Mohammad Kullay claimed the Kakapora–Shopian alignment has been cancelled, though the Centre has described projects as on hold, and MP Mian Altaf welcomed a separate Jammu–Rajouri rail plan.