Ambala–Attari line

The Ambala–Attari line is a railway line connecting Ambala Cantonment in the Indian state of Haryana and Attari in Punjab. The line is under the administrative jurisdiction of Northern Railway.

Ambala–Attari line including Hoshiarpur branch line
Jaladhar City is an Important railway station on Ambala–Attari line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Haryana, Punjab
Termini	Ambala Attari
Service
Operator(s)	Northern Railway
History
Opened	1870
Technical
Track length	273 km (170 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC OHLE in 1995–2004
Highest elevation	Ambala Cantonment 272.530 m (894 ft), Attari 220 m (722 ft)
Route map km to Lahore Wagah Pakistan India border 24 Atari Shyam Singh 13 Khasa 6 Chheharta State Highway 21 to Khem Karan 0 249 Amritsar National Highway 15 to Amritsar–Pathankot line National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) 236 Mananwala 230 Jandiala 224 Tangra 218 Butari 212 Baba Bakala Rajya to Tarn Taran 206 Beas Beas River 201 Dhilwan 193 Ramidi (Halt) National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) 191 Hamira 185 Karatpur 178 Sura Nussi 174 Baba Sodhal Nagar to Jalandhar–Firozpur line 170 0 Jalandhar City to Nakoar to Jalandhar–Jammu line National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) 165 5 Jalandhar Cantonment 11 Bolinna Doaba 22 Khurdpur 28 Sham Chaurasi 36 Nasrala 43 Hoshiarpur 157 Chiheru National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) 149 Phagwara to Nawan Shahr Doaba 145 Mauli 139 Goraya 133 Bhatian to Lohian Khas National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) 127 Phillaur Sutlej River 122 Ladhowal 114 Ludhiana to Ludhiana–Fazilka line to Ludhiana–Jakhal line 106 Dhandari Kalan 98 Sahnewal to Chandigarh–Sahnewal line 91 Doraha 87 Jaspalon 82 Chawapail 71 Khanna 63 Mandi Gobindgarh to Nangal Dam 53 Sirhind State Highway 12A 43 Sadhoo Garh 37 Sarai Banjara National Highway 1 (Grand Trunk Road) to Bathinda–Rajpura line 28 Rajpura National Highway 64 17 Sambhu Haryana Punjab border 7 Ambala City National Highway 65 to Delhi–Kalka line 0 Ambala Cantonment to Delhi–Kalka line to Moradabad–Ambala line

History

The Sind, Punjab and Delhi railway completed the Multan–Lahore–Amritsar line in 1865 and the 483 km (300 mi)-long Amritsar–Ambala–Saharanpur–Ghaziabad line in 1870 connecting Multan (now in Pakistan) with Delhi.[1] Amritsar–Attari section was completed on the route to Lahore in 1862.[2]

Hoshiarpur was linked by rail with Jullundur Cantonment in 1913.[3]

Electrification

The Ambala–Amritsar sector is electrified. It was electrified in parts. The Shahbad Markanda-Mandi Gobindgarh sector was electrified in 1995–96, the Mandi Gobindgarh–Ludhiana sector in 1996–97, the Phillaur–Phagwara sector in 2002–03, and the Phagwara–Jallandhar City–Amritsar in 2003–04.[4]

Sheds and workshops

Ambala has an outstation shed for Shakurbasti WDS-4 diesel locos. Ludhiana diesel shed holds 170+ locos including WDM-2, WDM-3A and WDG-3A. Ludhiana electric loco shed was commissioned in 2001 and houses WAM-4, WAG-5 and WAG-7 locos. India's first and largest DMU shed at Jalandhar holds 90 units placed in service in rural Punjab. It also houses two BEML-built rail buses that operate on the Beas–Goindwal Sahib line. Amritsar workshop carries out periodic overhaul of WDS-4 locos and breakdown cranes and bogie manufacture.[5]

Tracks and speed limit

The Ambala Cantonment–Ludhiana–Amritsar line is classified as a "Group B" line and can take speeds up to 130 km/ h.

It is a double-line track.[6] There is a third line between Sahnewal and Ludhiana.[7]

Passenger movement

Ambala Cantonment, Ludhiana, Jalandhar City and Amritsar, on this line, are amongst the top hundred booking stations of Indian Railway.[8]

Railway reorganisation

Sind Railway (later reorganised as Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway) was formed a guaranteed railway in 1856.[1] 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.[9]

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.[10] In 1952, Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company west of Mughalsarai, Jodhpur Railway, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway.[11]

References

1. R. P. Saxena. "Indian Railway History Timeline". Irse.bravehost.com. Archived from the original on 29 February 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
2. "Sind, Punjab and Delhi Railway". fibis. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
3. "Punjab District Gazetteers – Hoshiarpur". Punjab Revenue. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
4. "History of Electrification". IRFCA. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
5. "Sheds and workshops". IRFCA. Retrieved 25 January 2014.
6. "Punjab District Gazetteers – Kapurthala". Punjab Revenue. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
7. "Chandigarh-Ludhiana rail link inaugurated". Hindustan Times. Chandigarh. 19 April 2013. Archived from the original on 13 March 2014. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
8. "Indian Railways Passenger Reservation Enquiry". Availability in trains for Top 100 Booking Stations of Indian Railways. IRFCA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
9. "Digital South Asia Library". Imperial Gazetteer of India. p. 398. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
10. SM Imamul Haque (1989). Management of Indian Railways, 1989. Readings in Indian Railway Finance by KB Verma, P 136. Mittal Publications,A 1/8 Mohan Garden, New Delhi 110059. ISBN 81-7099-183-8. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
11. "Geography – Railway Zones". IRFCA. Retrieved 31 January 2014.

External links

• Trains at Ambala
• Trains at Ludhiana
• Trains at Jallandhar City
• Trains at Amritsar
• Trains at Attari
• Trains at Hoshiarpur