Electrification begins on Pathankot rail track

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 21

The Railways has commenced electrification work on the track between Amritsar and Pathankot.

The survey for electrification of all rail routes to the small peripheral towns around the city, including Dera Baba Nanak, Patti, Tarn Taran and Attari, has also started. The entire 950-km tracks will be electrified.

Amrit Singh, Officiating Director of the city railway station, said, the Railways has marked an ambitious target of achieving 20,000 km electrification per year. As part of this, 100-km track between Amritsar and Pathankot will be electrified in the next two years. This rail route further leads to Jammu and Kashmir which is already electrified.

The complete electrification of the rail track network in the region will provide uniform operation, reduce noise and air pollution, besides improving rail traffic quality.

Long awaited demand of the residents of these small peripheral towns for having quality rail services with the city would be met.

The proposed electrification will pave the way for turning Bhagtanwala and Chheharta into satellite railway stations to decongest the Amritsar station. For this, development works worth Rs 61 crore are already under way to remodel the Chheharta railway station. Work on a new railway line, platforms and reconstruction of the administrative building has been going on.

Keeping in view the future scope of bilateral trade between India and Pakistan, the Railways is all set to double the rail track between Amritsar and Attari.