Updated: November 11, 2020 7:24:53 am
Farmers protest at a train station in Jalandhar, Punjab, on October 1, 2020 (Express photo: Gurmeet Singh)
Continued protests by farmers have stopped all train services in Punjab. As a result, supplies have been cut off not only to that state, but also to the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Unlike other states like Rajasthan or Haryana, which have seen several “rail-roko” upheavals in recent years, in Punjab, train services cannot be diverted to other routes to get around the blockages.
In fact, it takes very little to cut off the entire Indian rail network in Punjab and further north of the country. This is why.
A specific geography
To the west of Punjab is Pakistan and to the east, Himachal Pradesh. Entry and exit are made only through a few strategically developed crossings that are the nerve centers of all rail connectivity in the state. These crossings are crucial for transporting supplies and passengers. 📣 Express Explained is now on Telegram
A narrow door
The Ambala Cantonment crossing in Haryana is the main entrance to Punjab for the broad gauge line. From Ambala, the line goes into the heart of Punjab, passing through the cities of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and up to Amritsar. The railway line runs almost parallel to the old Grand Trunk Road, following a historical pattern of movement of goods and people.
An alternative route is the so-called “SPR” or Southern Punjab Railway Route which enters Punjab via Rohtak and Jakhal in Haryana and, via Bathinda, goes to the Indo-Pakistani border town of Fazilka and places like Firozpur.
There is also the “DUK” or Delhi-Ambala-Kalka route that passes through Chandigarh.
The rail network serving Punjab, and by extension Jammu and Kashmir, depends on these three gates and routes. Disruptions in these two or three vertical lines can break supplies in Punjab, that’s what has happened now.
Although there are two other lines leaving Bathinda (a six-line crossing) to the south, one to Hissar in Haryana and one to Suratgarh in Rajasthan, these lines are not counted as regular Punjab routes due to operational limitations. For starters, they are old single-line sections. Furthermore, from an operational point of view, they are not practicable.
In fact, on paper, one more line connects Bathinda with the Sri Ganga Nagar city junction in Rajasthan, but that is informally called a “one-way” line because it has no direct connection to the main line. And, unlike cars, trains cannot turn or meander at will. So even if there is a train line, it doesn’t automatically translate into a “route” for a particular place.
Commerce-based network
More than passengers, railway lines in Punjab have developed and evolved essentially in response to the needs of the movement of goods.
The Ambala route, known as route “B” on the Railways (route “A” passes through Kanpur and Allahabad) is the traditional route of the Punjab Post, one of the oldest trains in the Indian Rail network. This line, which passes through Ambala, Saharanpur, Moradabad and Lucknow, is used to transport coal from eastern India to the five power stations in Punjab.
Twenty-eight kilometers after Ambala lies Rajpura Junction in Punjab, which is the head of the Bathinda-Rajpura line. Between Bathinda and Rajpura is the important Dhuri junction. Touching Dhuri, Jakhal, Bhatinda, Rajpura and Ludhiana, the lines form an hourglass shape, which is the heart and soul of the goods movement in Punjab.
On the Bathinda-Jakhal line is the Vedanta power plant at Talwandi Sabo. About 60 km from Rajpura is Nabha, where Larsen and Toubro have their power plant. Further north, a small line emanates from Amritsar to Beas to service the GVK group power station.
To the west, the Bathinda-Rajpura line is crucial for feeding the food grain belt. The Dhuri-Ludhiana-Jakhal line, which runs through the west of the state, is the main container feeding line that carries materials destined for export, especially to and from the Ludhiana hosiery belt. It is used to reach ports on the west coast of India, such as JNPT and Pipavav. It will also power the next Western Dedicated Freight Corridor.
© The Indian Express (P) Ltd
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