Railway survey estimates Rs 30,000 crore as cost of Jogindernagar line expansion

The Union Railway Ministry has completed a survey for the conversion of the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow rail line into broad gauge. As per the survey report submitted to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw recently, the total cost of expansion has been estimated at Rs 30,000 crore. Official sources said here today that seven tunnels and 1,150 small and major bridges would be constructed on this 195-km railway track between Pathankot and Jogindernagar. Now, the survey report would be placed before the Central Government for financial approval.

The Kangra valley railway line is one of the longest narrow gauge lines of the world that the British had constructed in 1926. At present, there are two tunnels and 950 major and small bridges on this track. Recently, Kangra MP Rajeev Bhardwaj had called on the Railway Minister and sought the immediate conversion of the 100-year-old Kangra valley railway line into board gauge. Thereafter, the Railway Minister had ordered a survey and the preparation of a detailed project report (DPR).

The expansion of the 120-km Kangra valley railway line — one of the oldest narrow gauge tracks of India — has been hanging fire for a long time. The British had laid this track in 1926, linking all important and religious towns of Kangra and parts of Mandi district. In the past 80 years, the Indian Railways has not added even one inch to this track. A number of plans were drawn to convert this narrow gauge line into a broad gauge line, but all remained only on paper. The condition of the rail track between Pathankot and Jogindernagar has gone from bad to worse in the past 10 years. Now, it is expected that this track will be converted into broad gauge soon.

The Kangra valley rail line is considered the lifeline of 40 lakh residents of lower hills of Himachal Pradesh. Earlier, seven trains were running on this route, covering 33 stations every day, passing through important places such as Nurpur, Jawali, Jwalamukhi road, Kangra, Nagrota Bagwan, Chamunda, Palampur, Baijnath and Jogindernagar, which are also major tourist centres. However, for the past one-and-half-years, direct train services between Pathankot and Jogindernagar remained suspended following the collapse of a bridge over the Chakki river, near Pathankot.

After the Kargil War in 1999, when the NDA was in power at the Centre, the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had planned to link Pathankot to Leh via Manali, keeping in view the defence requirements of the country. In fact, after the Kargil War of 1999, the Centre had realised the importance of this route. It had decided to develop an alternative route to Leh via Kangra as it was considered safest and beyond the firing range of Pakistan.

As of now, the Kangra valley rail line is in a bad shape. Most of its infrastructure has outlived its life and is crying for attention. The condition of the track has worsened with time. Owing to poor maintenance and the lack of funds, the work on repair and replacement of old bridges and retaining walls has been hindered.