Landslides disrupt historic Kangra valley rail services

Train services between Baijnath and Nurpur were severely disrupted today following heavy landslides near Ranital, cutting off a crucial transportation lifeline for the region. The narrow gauge Kangra Valley Railway, which had only partially resumed operations between Nurpur and Baijnath after the collapse of the Chakki Bridge, is once again at a standstill. The iconic toy train, which currently operates between Kangra and Baijnath, cannot continue to Nurpur Road (Jassur) due to dangerous conditions caused by fresh landslides.

Local residents, who heavily depend on this train route due to poor bus connectivity — particularly between Jwalamukhi Temple and Jasoor—are facing major inconvenience. Pilgrims visiting the revered Jawalaji Temple are also affected, as Ranital station is their primary access point. The restoration of the collapsed Chakki Bridge, which links Pathankot to Kangra, remains a distant hope, with completion expected only by March 2026.

The Kangra Valley Railway plays a vital role in the economy of the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh. Before the Chakki Bridge collapse, thousands used it daily. This 120 km track, laid by the British in 1932, was designed to connect key cultural and religious towns across Kangra and parts of Mandi district. Yet, in over 80 years, Indian Railways has neither expanded nor upgraded the line. Numerous proposals to convert the narrow gauge into broad gauge were made, but none materialised.

The track between Pathankot and Jogindernagar has steadily deteriorated, especially over the last decade. Despite being one of India’s oldest and most scenic narrow gauge routes, the Kangra line has received little attention from the Railways in recent years. Plans to link it with the proposed Bilaspur-Leh railway via Mandi have remained stagnant.

Notably, in 2003, the Vajpayee-led NDA government had envisioned a strategic rail link from Pathankot to Leh via Manali, passing through Kangra, following lessons from the 1999 Kargil war. This route was considered safer and beyond Pakistan’s firing range. However, the current NDA government altered the alignment, bypassing the Kangra Valley entirely—leaving the region and its people feeling forgotten and isolated.