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Route: Palampur- Pathankot- Jawalamukhi- Kangra- Joginder
Nagar
The Kangra valley railway is one of the most fascinating
railway networks in India. A train that travels through the
breathtaking valleys of the Himalayan region, the Kangra Valley
railway is truly unmatchable. Few places can match the scenic
beauty of the Himalayas, where the train travels. One will
stumble across a land that has cast its magic spell upon those
who planned the railway and those who built the line. The
result is there for all to see- an achievement that in every
way makes one proud of the fine record that the history of
Indian railways has always had.
The Kangra valley is the name given to the entire region
that lies between the Dhauladhar ranges of the Himalayas to
the north and the last strangling foothills to the south.
The Kangra valley railway is an excellent proof of how railway
engineers can create a work in harmony with nature. This they
have done without destroying the majesty of the mountain,
and at the same time, revealing to the traveler, an enchanted
and beautiful land.
The unique line of Kangra Valley Railway has just two tunnels,
one of which is only 250 feet and the other 1,000 feet in
length. Certainly the scenery through which the train passes
is ample compensation for the extra distance covered as compared
to getting there by road.
The most picturesque parts of the valley come to the view
- the stretch of 18 miles from Mangwal to Kangra, for example,
lies through country unsurpassed for its majestic grandeur
with the majestic Ban Ganga gorge and the deep Kangra chasm
as two piece de resistance. As one approaches Palampur, the
ever-present background of snowy chain peaks, 15,000 and 16,000
feet in height is barely ten miles away. From here onwards,
the line runs parallel to the Dhauladhar range and much nearer
to it than any other railways in India that ever comes so
close to the eternal snows.
Just before Baijnath, the line enters a stretch of country
far superior to the journey by road. Here, the train threads
its way among the pines of the Bhir gorge. This stretch between
Baijnath and Joginder Nagar is the steepest. Over here the
train moves at a snail's pace till it reaches the highest
point on the track at Ahju. Not far from here are the popular
Para-Gliding and Hang-Gliding sites of Bir and Billing. As
the train approaches Joginder Nagar, the White Mountains gradually
begin fading away.
Further up the line is the Bathu Khad, which is spanned by
a long viaduct, constructed on a graceful curve with the rails
about 100 feet above the bed of the Nullah. Between this point
and Kangra are the only two tunnels: at mile 53 is the Dhundi
tunnel, 250 feet long. Four miles ahead is the Daulatpur tunnel,
which is 1,000 feet in length
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