Vikal Sharma
PALAMPUR: Train services between Baijnath and Nurpur came to a halt on Friday (July 4, 2025) after a heavy landslide near Ranital disrupted the already fragile Kangra Valley railway network, severing a critical transport link in the region.
The narrow-gauge Kangra Valley railway, which had only partially resumed operations between Nurpur and Baijnath following the collapse of the Chakki Bridge, has once again been brought to a standstill. The iconic toy train, currently operating only between Kangra and Baijnath, is unable to continue further toward Nurpur Road (Jassur) due to unsafe conditions triggered by fresh landslides.
Pilgrims, locals face inconvenience
The disruption has caused significant hardship for local residents, who rely heavily on this railway due to limited bus services, especially between Jawalamukhi Temple and Jasoor. Pilgrims visiting the sacred Jawalaji Temple are particularly affected as Ranital station is the primary point of access to the site.
Restoration of the collapsed Chakki Bridge, which once connected Pathankot to Kangra, remains far from completion. Authorities now estimate that the bridge will not be operational until at least March 2026.
Neglect of historic railway line
The 120-km Kangra Valley railway, built by the British in 1932, connects key cultural and religious towns across Kangra and parts of Mandi district. Despite its historical and strategic significance, the line has seen little to no expansion or modernisation in over 80 years.
Several proposals to convert the narrow-gauge track to broad gauge have been made over the decades, but none have materialised. The condition of the route, especially the stretch between Pathankot and Jogindernagar, has steadily deteriorated, particularly over the last decade.
Although regarded as one of India’s most scenic and heritage-rich narrow-gauge railways, the Kangra line has been largely neglected by Indian Railways in recent years. Plans to integrate the line with the proposed Bilaspur-Leh railway via Mandi have also remained stalled.
Strategic plans abandoned
In 2003, the Atak Bihari Vajpayee-led NDA government had proposed a strategic railway link from Pathankot to Leh via Manali, passing through Kangra, a plan inspired by lessons from the 1999 Kargil War. The route was considered strategically advantageous, lying beyond the range of Pakistani artillery fire.
However, the current NDA government revised the proposed alignment, bypassing the Kangra Valley entirely. The move has left residents feeling overlooked and cut off, both economically and emotionally, from broader national development plans.
Vikal Sharma
