Bridge unsafe, tain service on Pathankot-Jogindernagar line halted

Rajiv Mahajan

NURPUR, AUGUST 2

The Railway authorities have declared the Chakki bridge near Kandwal in Nurpur unsafe and suspended train service indefinitely on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar line. Thousands of passengers in Kangra district travel by train on this route.

Illegal mining to blame

• A technical team of the Railway Division, Ferozepur, inspected dilapidated piers and protection wall of the bridge on Monday evening
• It recommended the indefinite suspension of train service on the narrow-gauge track
• It also suggested re-construction of the bridge
• Pedestrain movement on the bridge has been restricted with fencing of iron wires

2,000 commuters hit

• 7 trains were plying on this route
• 2,000 daily commuters to be hit
• 164-km-long track
• 33 stations fall on the route

A technical team of the Railway Division, Ferozepur (Punjab), inspected dilapidated piers and protection wall of the bridge last evening. It recommended the suspension of the train service on the narrow-gauge line indefinitely and the re-construction of the bridge. The movement on the bridge has been restricted with fencing of iron wires.

The Railways had initially suspended three trains on July 1 keeping in view the monsoon season and the threat of landslides on the railway line. But on July 17, all remaining four trains were suspended due to the dilapidated condition of the Chakki railway bridge.

Unabated illegal mining near the bridge for the past over three decades has weakened its supporting pillars and protection wall. The Railways had spent lakhs of rupees on the repair of the damaged pillars and protection wall several times but could not chalk out a plan to re-construct this over 90-year-old bridge that has outlived its usefulness. Now, the sudden suspension of the train servie has left thousands of daily passengers in a lurch.

The authorities concerned have failed to check large-scale illegal mining in the Chakki rivulet for which the Railways had given several reminders. Had the railway authorities decided to re-construct the Chakki bridge in time or the state authorities stopped illegal mining near it, the people of Kangra would not have lost this economical transport service.

Over a decade ago, the Chakki bridge on the Pathankot-Mandi national highway had also collapsed. The Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry had constructed a new bridge there.

This railway line is 164 km long and is the longest narrow gauge in the country. Built in 1928 by the British, the railway line was opened to passengers in April 1929. However, successive Central governments neglected it .

Seema Sharma, Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur, says flash floods in the Chakki rivulet had damaged piers, rendering the bridge unsafe for trains. After the monsoon, its condition will be examined again.

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