Amritsar–Jammu main line

The Amritsar–Jammu main railway line is a broad gauge railway line connecting Amritsar in Punjab to Jammu Tawi in Jammu and Kashmir. The line is operational and serves as a vital corridor for both passenger and freight trains in northern India. The route also serves pilgrims traveling to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.^[1][2]

Amritsar–Jammu main line
Pathankot Junction is an important Railway Station on Amritsar–Jammu main line
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Indian Railways
Locale	Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir
Termini	Amritsar Junction (ASR) Jammu Tawi (JAT)
Stations	9
Service
Type	Regional rail, Passenger and Freight
Operator(s)	Northern Railway
History
Opened	1975
Technical
Track length	216 km (134 mi)
Number of tracks	2
Track gauge	5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification	25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead line
Operating speed	Up to 110 km/h
Highest elevation	Amritsar Junction 233 m (764 ft) Beas Junction 234 m (768 ft) Jalandhar Cantonment 256 m (840 ft) Pathankot Cantonment352 m (1,155 ft) Jammu Tawi 414 m (1,358 ft)
Route map v t e Amritsar–Jammu Tawi main line Legend km 0 Amritsar 5 Majitha 10 Chheharta 18 Ajnala to Fazilka–Amritsar line 25 Batala Junction 33 Dhariwal 42 Gurdaspur Beas River 50 Dera Baba Nanak 60 Pathankot Junction to Pathankot–Jammu line 75 Kathua 90 Hiranagar 105 Jammu Tawi to Samba–SMVD Katra line km Source: India Railways – map created for reference purposes only. This map shows stations, rivers, minor halts, highways, and connecting lines from Amritsar to Jammu Tawi.

History

The line was constructed in the year 1975 to enhance connectivity between Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir. Over the years, it has undergone upgrades, including track doubling and partial electrification to improve speed and efficiency.

Route and major stations

The line covers a distance of approximately 207 km, with the following major stations:

• Amritsar Junction (ASR)
• Verka Junction (VKA)
• Batala Junction (BAT)
• Dina Nagar (DNN)
• Dhariwal (DHW)
• Gurdaspur (GSP)
• Pathankot Junction (PTK)
• Hira Nagar (HRNR)
• Jammu Tawi (JAT)

Electrification

The line has been partially electrified with 25 kV 50 Hz AC overhead traction. Full electrification is planned to further improve operational efficiency.

Services

Several trains operate on this route, including:

• Bathinda–Jammu Tawi Express (19225)
• SMVD Katra–Amritsar Vande Bharat Express (26405)
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Express (SBIB SVDK Express, 19415)
• Tata–Jammu Tawi Express (18101)
• Sambalpur–Jammu Tawi Express (18309)

Future developments

There are proposals for high-speed rail corridors on this route, which aim to reduce travel time and increase capacity. Other modernization projects include further electrification and track doubling.

See also

• Indian Railways
• Northern Railway zone
• Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra railway station