Train services from Pathankot to Jogindernagar fail to take off

The Railways have restored the train services on the 40- km stretch between Kangra and Baijnath. However, train services on the 80 km track between Pathankot and Kangra are yet to be restored. A major part of track had been washed away.

The Kangra Valley train is significant for the economy of the lower hills of the state. Thousands of people used to travel in the train before the suspension of its services due to the collapse of Chakki Bridge. The British laid this 120 km rail track in 1932, linking important and religious towns of Kangra and parts of Mandi district.

In the last 80 years, Railways has made no addition to the track. Several plans were drawn up to convert this narrow gauge line into a broad gauge line, but all remained confined to paper. The condition of the track between Pathankot and Jogindernagar has gone from bad to worse in the last decade.

Railways, in last five years, has seemingly shown no interest in the expansion of the Kangra valley rail line, one of the oldest narrow gauge tracks of India, and in linking it with proposed Bilaspur-Leh rail track at Mandi to Jogindernagar.

During the Assembly and parliamentary elections, state and Centre leaders made tall promises to residents of Kangra, assuring them that the Kangra valley narrow gauge rail line would be converted to a broad gauge track, and would be linked to Leh via Manali. However, in last five years, no headway was made to even acquire land or prepare a DPR.

In 2003, when the NDA was in power in the Centre, then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee planned to link Pathankot with Leh via Manali, keeping in view the defence requirements of the country.

In fact, after the Kargil war of 1999, the Union Government had realised its importance and decided to develop an alternative route to Leh via Kangra, as the route was considered the safest one and beyond the firing range of Pakistan.

However, the present NDA government changed the alignment of track and bye-passed Kangra Valley.

At present, most of the infrastructure of the rail line has already outlived its lifespan, and cries for the attention of Railways.

The condition of track has turned from bad to worse because of poor maintenance and lack of funds with the Railways to repair and replace old bridges and retaining walls, much to the dismay of lower Kangra residents.

One of oldest narrow gauge tracks of India

• Railways, in last five years, has seemingly shown no interest in the expansion of the Kangra valley rail line, one of the oldest narrow gauge tracks of India, and in linking it with proposed Bilaspur-Leh rail track at Mandi to Jogindernagar.
• The British laid this 120 km rail track in 1932, linking important and religious towns of Kangra and parts of Mandi district