Status Operational Opened 1897 Track length 421 km (262 mi) | Locale Haryana, Punjab Operator(s) Northern Railway Owner Indian Railways | |
Number of tracks Double line from Delhi to Rohtak. Double line sanctioned from Rohtak to Bathinda. Rest: Single line Terminis Fazilka railway station, Delhi Junction railway station | ||
The Delhi–Fazilka line is a railway line connecting Delhi and Fazilka the latter in the Indian state of the Punjab. There is a link to Firozpur Cantonment. The line is under the administrative jurisdiction of Northern Railway. This line was a part of the historic Delhi-Karachi line.
Contents
History
The Southern Punjab Railway Co. opened the Delhi-Bathinda-Samasatta line in 1897. The line passed through Muktasar and Fazilka tehsils and provided direct connection through Samma Satta (now in Pakistan) to Karachi.
Border crossings
Fazilka and Husseiniwala on this line are two defunct border crossing points on the India-Pakistan border.
After partition of India, a line linked Amrooka on the Pakistan side of the India-Pakistan border, opposite Fazilka, to Samma Satta. The only train running through these tracks was withdrawn in 2011.
The Hussainiwala-Ganda Singh Wala railway crossing, near Firozpur, became defunct with the partition of India. The broad gauge spur from Kasur Junction in Pakistan has been closed. A strategically important bridge that was blown up during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 at Hussainiwala, has been rebuilt and opened in 2013.
Electrification
The Okhla-New Delhi-Shakurbasti line was electrified in 1982-83. As of 2010-11, only 3 km of the 60 km Shakurbasti-Rohtak was remaining. The EMU services of Delhi suburban railway was extended up to Rohtak in 2013.
The electrification of the Rohtak-Bathinda-Lehra Muhabat sector is expected to be completed in 2017-18.
Tracks
Rohtak-Mansa is a double line and doubling of the Mansa-Bathinda sector is in progress.
Sheds
Shakurbasti has a diesel loco shed. It houses WDS-4A, WDS-4B, WDS-4D, WDM-2 and DEMUs. It also has a broad gauge trip shed for WDM-2 and WDG-3A locos. WDS-4 shunting locos based all over Northern Railway are sent here for periodical maintenance.
Developments
The 42 km (26 mi) new 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) wide broad gauge line between Fazilka and Abohar was opened in 2012.
The Rewari-Rohtak line was commissioned in 2013.
Work for a new line from Rohtak to Hansi via Meham was inaugurated in 2013.
Railway reorganisation
Southern Punjab Railway was taken over by the state and merged with North Western Railway in 1930.
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.
In 1952, Northern Railway was formed with a portion of East Indian Railway Company, west of Mughalsarai, Bikaner Railway and Eastern Punjab Railway.