Travel time between Pathankot-Baijnath cut by 2 hrs
DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday flagged off a new high speed train on the British-era Pathankot-Jogindernagar narrow rail gauge line that will reduce travel time between Baijnath and Pathankot towns by nearly two hours. The train was earlier taking seven hours and 15 minutes to cover the distance.
The authorities have bumped up the speed of the train from 20 km/hour to 25.5 km/hour. Thakur said the service will not only help local with faster transportation but also promote tourism.
“We will take up the issue of upgradation of the track with the Ministry,” he said. The train, with four coaches including one first class chair car, will have four stoppages in Palampur, Nagrota, Kangra and Jawalamukhi towns. Divisional manager Vivek Kumar said all trains plying on this section have been refurbished and a heritage gallery was constructed at Palampur station. Fifteen of the 26 stations have been provided free Wi-Fi facilities, he said. “Consultancy work for providing heritage look to Kangra station has been awarded and will be completed by March 10 this year,” Thakur said. He said the Railways would also execute various other works to give facelift to the heritage gallery at Palampur, display of heritage items at major stations, use of heritage light poles, clocks, and benches at stations to attract tourists and general public to use railway for their journey. The 165km rail track from Pathankot in Punjab to Jogindernagar in Mandi district of Himachal was once proposed to be declared a Unesco heritage site.