Villagers seek restoration of Chhatroli railway crossing

Residents of Chhatroli, Thanger, Giora, Kamnala, Kathal, Jassur, Bhaleta, Jatoli and Nanglahar villages in Nurpur have been relentlessly pursuing the restoration of a crucial railway crossing at Chhatroli on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow-gauge railway line, near Nurpur Road railway station.

The railway crossing at kilometre 19/2.3 was initially closed to vehicular traffic in October 2011. However, following protests by the affected villagers, it was temporarily reopened in March 2012 — only to be permanently closed again in December 2013. Since then, locals have been advocating for the construction of a Limited Height Subway (LHS) at Chhatroli to restore road connectivity and ease transportation challenges faced by the rural population.

Frustrated by years of inaction, the residents formed the Jassur-Geora-Chhatroli Vikas Manch, a local development forum aimed at voicing their concerns more effectively to railway authorities and public representatives. The Manch has repeatedly raised the issue with Northern Railway and members of Parliament representing the Kangra Lok Sabha constituency, urging the authorities either to build an LHS or to convert the partially closed railway crossing into an unmanned one.

Despite submitting multiple memorandums to the Northern Railway, the residents have seen little progress.

“More than 18,000 people from these villages are suffering due to the closure. No vehicles can pass through, forcing residents to travel an extra 6 to 8 km to reach National Highway-154,” said Baldev Pathania, president of the Vikas Manch.

“This impacts access to essential services like LPG delivery, education and healthcare — especially in emergencies.”

Recently, the Manch submitted a memorandum to Rajiv Bhardwaj, MP (Lok Sabha) and a resident of Jassur town. Following his intervention, a technical team from the railway department conducted a preliminary site inspection last month for the possible construction of an LHS.

Further hope was kindled when the issue was raised during the 127th meeting of the Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (JRUCC) in New Delhi on May 16. Deepak Bhardwaj, a JRUCC member and Nurpur resident, strongly advocated for immediate action, highlighting the urgent need for an LHS at Chhatroli to restore vital connectivity.

For now, the villagers await concrete action — hoping the long-standing deadlock will finally give way to development and relief.