Services on Pathankot-Jogindernagar track to resume after rains: Railways
Divisional Manager of Railways, Sanjay Sahu, inspected the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow-gauge railway track and announced that services were likely to resume once the rains subside. Speaking to the media in Baijnath, he revealed that the construction of the Chakki river railway bridge, located on the Punjab-Himachal border, is expected to be completed by March 2025.
The Chakki river bridge was washed away in August 2022, leading to the suspension of railway services on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar route. A partial resumption had been made about a year ago between Nurpur and Baijnath, with three trains running. However, these services were also suspended in July this year due to the monsoon season.
Sahu emphasised that the Nurpur-Baijnath section is currently unsafe for operations because of landslide risks. A recent landslide near Ranital caused damage to a portion of the railway track, as debris from the under-construction Matour-Shimla four-lane road slipped onto the track. Sahu confirmed that trains would only resume between Nurpur and Baijnath after the rains abate, with full services along the Pathankot-Jogindernagar track expected by March 2025, once the bridge is rebuilt.
Local residents, particularly from Kangra, have been urging the government to resume services promptly. Satish Sharma, a Panchrukhi resident, highlighted that the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow-gauge railway line has been a lifeline for many rural areas in the region. He expressed concerns over the deteriorating condition of the British-era railway stations, alleging that many, such as Baijnath, have been closed due to poor upkeep.
Though efforts are being made to renovate and upgrade some stations, including Palampur and Paprola under the Amrit Bharat scheme, several others remain in disrepair. Built between 1926 and 1928, the 100-km railway line was an engineering marvel of its time and continues to be the only mode of connectivity for some remote areas of Kangra, despite being out of service for the past two years.
