Villagers demand full train services, threaten to hold stir

Local residents are up in arms against the partial restoration of train service on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow gauge railway track between Kangra and Jogindernagar railway stations.The residents of lower Kangra region, comprising Jawali and Nurpur sub-divisions, have threatened to hold a protest demonstration at the Nandpur railway station on Sunday if complete services were not restored by Saturday.

Residents of as many as three dozen villages of Nurpur, Jawali, Dehra and Kangra have been deprived of this train service after its suspension on July 6 after heavy rain triggered landslides at several places on the track.

The residents and commuters of Jawali and Dehra in Kangra district have decided to hold this protest demonstration under the banner of Nandpur Vikas Sangharsh Samiti (NVSS) if the train service was not restored between Nurpur road and Kangra railway station by Saturday. Local train commuters, Rajesh Nandpuri, Ashwani Guleria, Sudesh Dhiman said that railway authorities had conducted successful trials with the engine accompanied by seven coaches from Nurpur road to Guler railway station last month and people were hopeful that trains would start plying on this track during Navratri. The railways, however, restored train service partially in two phases between Kangra and Baijnath (Paprola) railway stations on September 26 and between Kangra to Jogindernagar railway stations from today (October 18). Sukh Lal Godara, president of NVSS alleged that the slow pace of repair of railway track by removing debris on it at Ranital near Kangra was delaying restoration of train service between Nurpur road and Kangra railway stations. He said that the affected residents would hold the protest demonstration on Sunday.