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{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox rail line
| box_width = 28em
| name = Amritsar–Pathankot line<br/>(including Dera Baba Nanak branch line)
| color =
| logo = 
| logo_width = 100 px
| image = QADIAN Batala Railway Station.JPG
| image_width =
| caption = Batala Junction is an important railway station on Amritsar–Pathankot line
| type =
| system = Electrified
| status = Operational
| locale = [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]
| start = {{stnlnk|Amritsar}}
| end = {{stnlnk|Pathankot Junction}}
| stations =
| routes =
| daily_ridership =
| open = 1884
| close =
| owner = [[Indian Railways]]
| operator = [[Northern Railway zone|Northern Railway]]
| character =
| depot =
| stock =
| linelength =
| tracklength = {{convert|108.9|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}
| tracks = 1 (Single line) Doubling from [[Amritsar]] to [[Batala]] going on.
| gauge = {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]]
| old_gauge =
| minradius =
| racksystem =
| electrification = 2018
| speed =
| elevation = Amritsar {{convert|236|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}, Pathankot Junction {{convert|352|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}
| website =
| map = {{Amritsar–Pathankot line|inline=1}}
| map_state = collapsed
}}
The '''Amritsar–Pathankot line''' is a railway line connecting {{stnlnk|Amritsar}} and {{stnlnk|Pathankot Junction}} both in the Indian state of [[Punjab, India|Punjab]]. The line is under the administrative jurisdiction of [[Northern Railway zone|Northern Railway]].

==History==
The {{convert|108.9|km|mi|0|abbr=on}}-long {{track gauge|1676mm}}-wide {{Track gauge|5ft6in|lk=on}} [[broad gauge]] Amritsar–Pathankot line was opened in 1884.<ref name=punjabrailway>{{cite web | url= http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_gdr16.htm | title= Chapter VII | access-date= 10 February 2014 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090410022057/http://punjabrevenue.nic.in/gaz_gdr16.htm | archive-date= 10 April 2009 | url-status= dead | df= dmy-all }}</ref> It originally belonged to the local government and was transferred to [[North Western Railway (British India)|North Western Railway]] in 1892.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V20_331.gif | title= Digital South Asia Library|publisher= Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 20, p. 325. | access-date = 10 February 2014 }}</ref> The Amritsar–Dera Baba Nanak branch line serves the western part of Batala tehsil. Prior to the [[partition of India]] in 1947, this line was {{convert|225.9|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long and was linked to [[Sialkot]] (now in Pakistan), but after partition [[Dera Baba Nanak]] became the terminus. The Batala–Qadian link serves the eastern part of Batala tehsil.<ref name=punjabrailway/> The {{convert|225.9|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long [[Amritsar]]–[[Sialkot]] line ran thus: [[Amritsar]]–[[Dera Baba Nanak]]–[[Narowal]]–[[Sialkot]], crossing the {{convert|1.024|km|mi|0|abbr=on}} long [[Ravi River]] Bridge.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.irfca.org/docs/international-links.html | title= International Links from India|first=Mohan|last=Bhuyan|publisher= IRFCA | access-date = 11 February 2014 }}</ref>

As of 2013, the Lahore–Narowal–Sialkot railway line passes near the India–Pakistan border through the western outskirts of Narowal, just opposite Dera Baba Nanak, before turning north-westwards to Pasrur and Sialkot.<ref>{{cite book| url= https://books.google.com/books?id=5a0NAQAAQBAJ&q=Jassar+railway+bridge&pg=PA256 |title= From Kutch to Tashkent: The Indo-Pakistan War of 1965|page=256| first=Farooq|last= Bajwa|publisher= C. Hurst & Co. (Publishers) Ltd.| location=London| isbn= 978-1-84904-230-7| via=Google Books| access-date = 11 February 2014|date= 2013-09-30}}</ref>

During the [[2015 Gurdaspur attack]], disaster was averted on this line as a railway lineman, Ashwani Saini, noticed a bomb on the track and alerted the authorities before the next train arrived. He also ran down the line waving a red flag to alert the driver of the next train to stop. The train that was due to traverse this track, with more than 270 people on board, stopped only a hundred yards from the bomb.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Pubby|first1=Vipin|title=How two Gurdaspur bravehearts foiled worst terror attack on Punjab|url=http://www.dailyo.in/politics/gurdaspur-punjab-terror-attack-nanak-chand-ashwani-saini-pakistan/story/1/5289.html|access-date=28 July 2015|work=Daily O|date=28 July 2015}}</ref>

==Importance==
This line is strategically very important. It connects three border districts of Punjab with each other namely Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Pathankot. This lines provides a diversion or substitute route to Jalandhar–Jammu line. Whenever this track gets interrupted either due to any protest or a technical/mechanical work, then most of the trains get diverted via Amritsar–Gurdaspur to Pathankot and further to Jammu and vice versa. This line can also play a strategic role and help military movement in war conditions. The important stations on this line are Amritsar, Batala, Gurdaspur & Pathankot. Other landmark stoppages are Verka, Dhariwal and Dinanagar.

==Railway workshop==
Amritsar railway workshop carries out periodic overhaul of WDS-4 locos and breakdown cranes and bogie manufacture.<ref name=sheds>{{cite web |url= http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-shed.html |title= Sheds and workshops |publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 2 February 2014}}</ref>

==Passenger movement==
{{stnlnk|Amritsar}} is the only station on this line which is amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.indianrail.gov.in/7days_Avl.html |title=Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry |work=Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways |publisher=IRFCA |access-date=10 February 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510115649/http://www.indianrail.gov.in/7days_Avl.html |archivedate=10 May 2014 }}</ref>

==Railway reorganisation==
Sind Railway (later reorganised as [[Scinde, Punjab & Delhi Railway]]) was formed a guaranteed railway in 1856. It constructed broad-gauge railways from Delhi to Multan via Lahore, and from Karachi to Kotri. Multan and Kotri were connected by ferry service on the [[Indus River]]. In 1871–72, Indus Valley Railway was formed to connect Multan and Kotri. At the same time, Punjab Northern State Railway started constructing from Lahore towards Peshawar. In 1886, Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway was acquired by the state and amalgamated with Indus Valley Railway and Punjab Northern State Railway to form [[North Western State Railway]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/REFERENCE/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V03_433.gif |title=Digital South Asia Library |publisher=Imperial Gazetteer of India, v. 3, p. 398. |access-date=31 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202101415/http://dsal.uchicago.edu/REFERENCE/gazetteer/text.html?objectid=DS405.1.I34_V03_433.gif |archivedate=2 February 2014 }}</ref>

With the [[partition of India]] in 1947, North Western Railway was split. While the western portion became Pakistan West Railway, and later [[Pakistan Railways]], the eastern part became Eastern Punjab Railway.<ref>{{cite book |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=8v-zRmScc0MC&q=Eastern+Punjab+Railway&pg=PA136 |title=Management of Indian Railways, 1989|isbn= 81-7099-183-8| work=Readings in Indian Railway Finance by KB Verma, P 136|last=SM Imamul Haque|year=1989| publisher= Mittal Publications,A 1/8 Mohan Garden, New Delhi 110059| access-date = 31 January 2014| via=Google Books}}</ref> In 1952, [[Northern Railway zone|Northern Railway]] was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.irfca.org/faq/faq-geog.html#newzone |title = Geography – Railway Zones| publisher= IRFCA| access-date = 31 January 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/arrivals/amritsar-junction-asr/344 Trains at Amritsar]
*[http://indiarailinfo.com/departures/pathankot-junction-ptk/92 Trains at Pathankot Junction]
*[http://d.indiarailinfo.com/train/timetable/amritsar-derababa-nanak-dmu-74651-asr-to-dbnk/4018/344/4534 Amritsar-Dera Baba Nanak DMU time table]

{{Railways in Northern India}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amritsar - Pathankot line}}
[[Category:5 ft 6 in gauge railways in India]]
[[Category:Rail transport in Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Firozpur railway division|*]]
[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1884]]
[[Category:Transport in Pathankot]]
[[Category:Transport in Amritsar]]

Amritsar Pathankot line - Revision history

>Vatsmaxed at 18:46, 24 June 2021