The proposal to shift the main station of the historic Kangra valley railways from Pathankot to the Dalhousie road has triggered widespread outrage in Kangra district. Both residents and stakeholders are terming the plan as impractical and unjustified.
The Kangra valley trains, running between Jogindernagar (Mandi) and Pathankot (Punjab), has long been regarded as the lifeline of the lower hill regions of Himachal Pradesh.
Established during the British era, this narrow-gauge railway line connects remote and rural areas through over 24 stations spread across Kangra and Mandi districts.
Pathankot, in particular, has historically served as the primary gateway to Himachal Pradesh, offering seamless connectivity to major cities in India via the Pathankot junction and Pathankot Cantonment.
Residents fear that shifting the operational terminus to the Dalhousie road, around 10 km short of Pathankot, will cause inconvenience to passengers. Daily commuters, students, traders, patients, defence personnel and tourists will be forced to arrange additional transport, leading to increased travel time, higher costs and avoidable hardships.
For many, the proposal undermines decades of established connectivity that has supported both livelihoods and regional mobility.
Concerns have also been raised over the rationale behind the proposal, which is reportedly linked to traffic congestion at some railway crossings in Pathankot.
Critics argue that this justification is fundamentally flawed and anti-people. They say that traffic bottlenecks should be addressed through infrastructure development such as the construction of flyovers, underpasses and better traffic management systems rather than by weakening a vital railway link.
Public dissatisfaction has been further aggravated by the delay in restoring full rail services on this track though the work on key infrastructure has been completed.
The Chakki bridge section has already been rebuilt, successful trials have been conducted and the Commissioner of Railway Safety has reportedly granted clearance. Yet, the absence of regular operations has made local people frustrated and they question the intent behind the delay.
The issue has also acquired a political dimension due to apprehensions that the consideration of elections in neighbouring Punjab may be influencing the decision. Residents fear that the interests of lakhs of people in Kangra and Mandi districts are being sidelined in favour of limited administrative convenience.
Members of various local organisations, including Satish Sharma, Suresh Kumar and Subhash Sharma, have opposed the plan to shift the station and demanded that it should remain at Pathankot and the proposal withdrawn.
They have also called for meaningful consultations with the public before a final decision is taken.
The groups have urged Members of Parliament – Anurag Thakur (Hamirpur), Rajeev Bhardwaj (Kangra), Kangana Ranaut (Mandi) and Indu Bala Goswami (Rajya Sabha) – to raise the issue with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and ensure that the concerns of the people of the region are addressed in Parliament.
