On 22 Dec 2018,
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has asked ministry officials to explore possibilities to reduce the journey time between Joginder Nagar station in Himachal Pradesh and Pathankot station in Punjab by three hours. After an aerial survey of the section with Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur, Goyal said, "I was surprised to know that this 164-km journey takes nine hours". He has ordered the railway authorities in
Dharamshala to conduct a fresh survey of the route to "reduce this nine-hour tiring journey to a moderate six-hour journey". He said he has asked the Railway Board to build new transparent vistadome coaches, used in European trains, to allow passengers on the route to have a wider scenic view of the region. The Union minister said old rail lines on Pathankot–Joginder Nagar route will be replaced and free wi-fi facility will be made available at 17 major stations on the section. Goyal said the improvements will help the region attract more tourists. The railways and the state government will work together to encourage film shootings on these tracks, he said. Kangra valley stations will be upgraded to give it a heritage look. ==Gallery==