Pathankot railway station, gateway to the hills
Pathankot railway station (code PTK), officially Pathankot Junction, serves Pathankot in Punjab. It is a Northern Railway station on the Jalandhar–Jammu line, and also the meeting point of the Amritsar–Pathankot line and the narrow-gauge Kangra Valley Railway. It stands about 331 metres above sea level.
History
- 1884: the 107 km broad-gauge Amritsar–Pathankot line opens.
- 1915: a line is built from Jalandhar City to Mukerian.
- 1929: the 164 km, 2 ft 6 in Kangra Valley Railway from Pathankot to Joginder Nagar is commissioned.
- 1952: the Mukerian–Pathankot link is built.
- 1965–1971: after the 1965 war, construction of the Pathankot–Jammu Tawi line starts; it opens in 1971.
- May 2015: electrification of the Jalandhar–Jammu line is completed.
A railhead with character
For decades Pathankot was the railhead for Kashmir. Railway writer Ian Manning described it as a booming trucking and military town whose station "grew by accumulation in length rather than in breadth", with bay platforms at the Amritsar end. At the far end, a tidy bay and loop formed the passenger terminus of the Kangra Valley Railway, climbing into the Himalayan foothills. Find more mountain lines on our heritage trains page.
Where you can go
Trains run north to Jammu Tawi and beyond, west to Amritsar, south to Jalandhar and the rest of India, and into Himachal Pradesh on the Kangra line. The next stations are Pathankot Cantonment on one side and Bharoli on the other, so check which Pathankot station is on your ticket.
Station facts
The station has broad-gauge tracks, parking and access for passengers with disabilities.
Frequently asked questions
What is the code of Pathankot railway station?
PTK. It is officially Pathankot Junction.
Does the Kangra Valley Railway start at Pathankot?
Yes. The narrow-gauge line to Joginder Nagar, opened in 1929, starts at Pathankot.
Is Pathankot Junction the same as Pathankot Cantt?
No. Pathankot Cantonment is a separate, neighbouring station.
See timings on our train schedule page.