Operations on the historic 164-km narrow-gauge line were suspended for nearly four years after extensive damage caused by floods and landslides. Before services were halted, seven pairs of trains operated on the route, providing vital connectivity to daily commuters from nearly 20 towns between Pathankot and Baijnath Paprola.
“In August 2022, due to heavy rains and floods in Himachal Pradesh, the British-era Bridge No. 32 on the Chakki River was washed away. In addition, landslides during the monsoon caused extensive damage to the track. For safety reasons, passenger services had to be temporarily suspended. Now, we have restored services of two trains and other trains will also be restored in a phased manner,” railway officials said.
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Train operations resumed on June 2 after four years, with two trains being flagged off by MP and former Union minister Anurag Thakur along with other leaders.
A day later, the restoration of a third train between Pathankot and Nurpur raised hopes that the remaining four pairs of trains would also be resumed. However, on June 10, Northern Railway cancelled the third train, citing “operational constraints and necessary maintenance work”.
“Since then, senior railway officials of the Jammu Division as well as the Railway Board have maintained silence on the question of restoring services of the remaining five pairs of trains,” said P C Vishvkarma, president of the Kangra Valley Railway Sangharsh Samiti.”The two trains currently in operation are extremely overcrowded, and passengers are often forced to travel while standing at the coach doors due to the heavy rush, putting their lives at risk. Since this is a narrow-gauge track, each train has only six coaches,” he added.
Vishvkarma also said the departure timings of the two trains were highly inconvenient. One leaves Pathankot at 5 am and the other around 7 am, both reaching Baijnath Paprola in the afternoon. On the return journey, one departs at 2 pm and the other around 3.30 pm, reaching Pathankot at approximately 9 pm and 11 pm, respectively.
While the Railways have cited “operational constraints and necessary maintenance work” for not restoring the remaining five pairs of trains, locals alleged that other factors, including politics, were delaying the resumption of services.
A senior resident of Pathankot said railway officials had told him that a shortage of loco pilots and other staff was the main reason behind the delay.
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Vishvkarma, however, alleged that influential politicians in Pathankot had opposed the restoration of all train services because the trains halt road traffic at four to five level crossings.
“That is why the two trains currently operating have been assigned odd timings to accommodate local traffic requirements. Moreover, Friday has been declared a non-operational day, with all train services suspended, meaning no trains run on Fridays,” he said.
Office-bearers of the Kangra Valley Railway Sangharsh Samiti also claimed that political differences could be a factor, noting that Pathankot is politically dominated by the BJP while Himachal Pradesh is governed by the Congress.
Residents also highlighted the railway’s affordability, pointing out that the fare from Pathankot to Baijnath is just Rs 35 compared with around Rs 350 by bus, making it the preferred mode of travel for many commuters.