A part of Indiaonline network empowering local businesses

Editor's Choice:

Home about transport

Share this on Facebook!

Transport in Punjab

Indiaonline
Close

Want more stories like this?

Like us on Facebook to get more!
Close

Transport in Punjab

Transport in Punjab

Punjab is one of the states in India that provide the best public transport system in the country.
An extensive network of roads and railways not only connect different parts of the state, but also join it with other parts of the country. Moreover, the state has a number of airports, which adequately cover the needs of the air passengers. Thanks to such advanced infrastructural facilities traveling in Punjab is comfortable and fast.

Roadways in Punjab

It is a fact that railways can reach you up to certain points only. If you want to go beyond that point you need to use the available road transport system. However, such a system depends entirely on the availability of good roads. Therefore, it is important that we first look into the existing roadways in Punjab.

National Highways in Punjab

Punjab, being a border state, has an extensive network of national highways. The historic Grand Trunk Road, which runs from Kolkata in West Bengal to Peshwar in Pakistan, is the oldest national highway in Punjab. However, the part that runs from Delhi to Wagdha Border (village Attari) is known as NH1. 

National Highway 1 in Punjab

MG Road Punjab

National Highway 1 enters Punjab near Ambala (Haryana) and covers Patiala, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Kapurthala districts. Rajpura, Ludhiana, Phagwara, Jalandhar, Amritsar and Attari are some of the major cities located on this road. Most part of this road has six lanes. Only the part that runs from Attari to Jalandhar is four-laned.

Other Important National Highways in Punjab

National Highway 64

Other than the above mentioned NH 1 following are some other national highways running across Punjab:

National Highways Across Punjab
  1. National Highway 1A: It starts from Jalandhar and then passes through Pathankot to culminate at Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.

  2. National Highway 5: It starts at Ferozpur and runs through Chandigarh to enter Himachal Pradesh. It finally culminates at Shipkila on the Indo Chinese border. This road has been formed by amalgamation of NH 22, NH 95 and parts of NH 21.

  3. National Highway 10: It starts from Malaut in Punjab and culminates at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand crossing Haryana in its course.

  4. National Highway 15: It starts at Pathankot and passes through Amritsar, Tarn Taran Sahib, Zira, Kotkapura and Bathinda before it enters into Rajasthan. It finally culminates at Samakhilali in Gujarat.

  5. National Highway 64: It starts at Chandigarh and ends at Dabwali (in Haryana) crossing Banur, Rajpura, Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala, Rampura Phul and Bathinda on the way.

  6. National Highway 70: It starts at Jalandhar and runs through Hoshiarpur to enter Himachal Pradesh.

  7. National Highway 71: It starts at the junction of NH 1 at Jalandhar and runs down through Punjab and Haryana to meet NH 8 near Rewari
It is important to note that many of these above mentioned roads have been renamed to suit current requirement. We have already talked about NH 5 which has been formed by the amalgamation of NH 22, NH 95 and parts of NH 21.  Moreover, the first 40 Km of this road is also known as Ambala-Chandigarh Expressway. In addition, parts NH1, NH 21 and whole of NH 70 has now been joined to form NH 3. Nonetheless, the old names are still very popular. That is why they have been used in this article.

State Highways in Punjab


Punjab Roadways

Punjab also has a few state highways constructed by the Government of Punjab. Following is a list of such highways along with the names of few important towns covered by them:
SH 10 runs through Patiala Rajgarh, Samana and finally Patran
SH 10 runs from Fadrikot to Firozpur
SH 18 starts from Balacharu and then runs through Nawanshaher to culminate at Phagwara
SH 19 starts from Moga and then proceeds through Makhu, Bhikiwind to end at Khalra
SH 20 starts at Zira and then runs through Firozepur and Jalalabad to end at Fazilka


Besides these above mentioned roads, the state has many district roads, municipal roads, panchayat roads etc. In short, the roadway network in Punjab takes you to the most interior part of the state.

Public Transport System in Punjab  

However, it is not enough to build roads; it is equally important to have an efficient public transport system in place. Fortunately, Punjab has a well-organized network of road transport system to enable the citizens of the state to travel in comfort.

Intra-City Travel in Punjab

In general, the autorickshaws are the best mode of intracity travel in Punjab. However, bigger cities such as state capital Chandigarh also offer regular bus and taxi services for commuting within the city. For example, Chandigarh Transport Undertaking runs regular bus services to connect different part of the city. In addition, it also runs a few buses in the adjoining Ajitgarh.

Punjab Roadways or Punbus

Punbus nearing Ludhiana Depot

Buses are the best mode of transport for traveling outside the city. There are number of transport operators in the state. However, the biggest is the Punjab Roadways, which came into existence in 1948. It started with a fleet of 13 buses; today it has 2407 buses plying on various routes. In addition, it also operates and monitors a number of bus stands and bus depots throughout Punjab.

Punjab Roadways Bus Depots

Punjab Roadways was established with the aim of providing affordable and comfortable mode of transport both for intercity and interstate travel. Although it is a fully commercial company it offers free/concessional travel to the deserving categories identified by the Punjab Government. Moreover, to facilitate wider reach out, Punjab Roadways has established 18 depots located at different parts of the state. They are as follows:
Amritsar-1
Taran Taaran
Amritsar -2
Batala
Chandigarh
Ferozepur
Hoshiarpur
Jalandhar-1
Jalandhar - 2
Jagraon
Ludhiana
Moga
Mukatsar
Nangal
Nawanshehar
Pathankot
Patti
Roopnagar

Super Luxury Bus Service run by Punjab Roadways

Apart from regular buses, Punbus has also introduced several Super Luxury buses. These buses run in the following routes:

For further details passengers can call at the following numbers:
  • Amritsar Bus Stand: 92161-11444, 0183-255-1734
  • Ludhiana Bus Stand: 0161-244-7015
  • Jalandhar Bus Stand: 92161-11555, 01781-222-3755
  • Chandigarh Bus Stand: 0172-270-4023 (for Delhi) ,  92161-11333 for Amritsar and Jalandhar
  • Delhi Bus Stand: 011-2386-7842

N.B: Facilities for telephonic reservation are also available for these buses. However, the passenger has to report and take a confirmed ticket 15 minutes before the scheduled departure of the bus.

International Bus Services Run by Punjab Roadways

International Bus Service by PUNBUS

In addition to its domestic services, Punjab Roadways also provides international bus services on Amritsar-Lahore-Amritsar and Amritsar-Nankana Sahib-Amritsar routes. Among them, Amritsar-Lahore-Amritsar buses start from Amritsar International Bus Terminal every Tuesday and Saturday and from Lahore on every Wednesday and Friday.  Buses leave at 9:00 AM IST from Amritsar. Each ticket costs Rs. 750 in Indian currency.

The Nankana Sahib Bus Service operates on every Friday and Wednesday from Amritsar and on every Saturday and Tuesday from Nankana. Buses from Amritsar leave at 9:30 IST and each ticket costs Rs. 1000 in Indian currency. In both these cases, the tickets are available at:

International Bus Terminus
Youth Hostel
G. T. Road
Amritsar
Phone No: 0183-258-7070, 0183-255-1735
Mobile No: 98720-77559 (between 8 A.M. and 6 P.M.)

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation is also owned by Government of Punjab. It is headquartered at Patiala and runs a large number of buses not only throughout the length and breadth of Punjab, but also to different cities outside the state.

Originally, the service was started by Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) to provide an efficient road transport services within its jurisdiction. Later as the country became independent and PEPSU merged with rest of Punjab, it started running buses all over the state. Finally on 16th October 1956, PEPSU Road Transport Corporation was set-up under Road Transport Corporations Act, 1950 to provide affordable and coordinated bus services throughout the state.

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation Today

The Corporation started its journey with a fleet of 60 buses, which covered 11,107 daily scheduled kilometers on 15 routes. Today, it has around thousand buses covering a daily mileage of 355827 kilometers under 577 routes. Majority of these buses are owned by the Corporation while some are hired on kilo meter basis.

Bus Depots and Bus Stands owned by PRTC

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation has 10 depots located at Budhlada, Bathinda, Barnala, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Faridkot, Patiala, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Special Cell of KM Scheme at Patiala.

In addition, it has twelve bus stands owned and operated by it. They are: Talwandi, Patiala, Kapurthala, Sangrur, Bathinda, Budhlada, Sabo, Faridkot, Ahmadgarh, Phagwara, Moonak, Patran and Amloh.

Services Rendered by PEPSU Road Transport Corporation

PEPSU Road Transport Corporation provides both intercity and interstate services. It also links several remote villages with nearby towns or cities and hence if you want to see the rural Punjab, the buses run by PRTC are probably the only mode of public transport. States that are directly connected by PRTC buses are Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Union Territories of Chandigarh and Delhi.

Other Bus Operators in Punjab

In addition to the above mentioned Punjab Roadways and PEPSU Road Transport Corporation, two other important road transport companies are Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and Haryana Roadways.  They also ply regular buses within the state. Furthermore, there are numerous private transport operators, who provide bus services connecting different parts of Punjab.

Also See: Bus Service in Amritsar | Bus Service Providers in Barnala | Buses from Bathinda | Roadways in Ludhiana | Buses in Moga | Bus Service in Pathankot

Railways in Punjab

Amritsar Railway Junction

Punjab has an extensive railway network spread all over the state. There are more than 89 important railway stations in the state. Among them 13 are railway junctions where railway tracks from various parts of Punjab meet to form a network. Trains from different parts of the country

Railway Junctions in Punjab

Among the railway junctions in Punjab, three are located in Jalandhar district. They are:
  • Lohian Khas Junction (Station Code LNK)
  • Nakodar Junction (Station Code NRO)
  • Phillaur Junction (Station Code PHR)

In addition, the following two junctions are located in the Ludhiana district:
  • Ludhiana Junction (Station Code LDH)
  • Verka Junction (Station Code VKA)

The other railway junctions located in Punjab are:
  • Amritsar Junction located in the Amritsar district (Station Code ASR)
  • Bathinda Junction located in Bathinda district (Station Code BTI)
  • Batala Junction located in Gurudaspur district (Station Code BAT)
  • Dhuri Junction located in Sangrur District (Station Code DUI)
  • Pathankot Junction located in Pathankot district (Station Code PTK)
  • Phagwara Junction located in Kapurthala district (Station Code PGW)
  • Rajpura Junction located 20 km south of Patiala in the Patiala district (Station Code RPJ)
  • Sirhind Junction located in Fatehgarh Sahib District (Station code SIR)

Few Other Important Railway Stations in Punjab

Sirhind Junction

Apart from the above mentioned railway junctions there are many other important railway stations in Punjab. Following is a list of stations along with their station code:

Station Name: Abohar
District: Fazilka
Station Code: ABS

Station Name: Ahmedgarh
District: Sangrur
Station Code: AHM

Station Name: Anadpur Sahib
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: ANSB

Station Name: Attari
District: Amritsar
Station Code: ATT

Station Name: Barnala
District: Barnala
Station Code: BNN

Station Name: Beas
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: BEAS

Station Name: Bhuchchu
District: Bathinda
Station Code: BCU

Station Name: Bareta
District: Mansa
Station Code: BRZ

Station Name: Bassi Pathan
District: Fatehgarh Sahib
Station Code: BSPN

Station Name: Budhialda
District: Mansa
Station Code: BLZ

Station Name: Chakki Bank
District: Pathankot
Station Code: CHKB

Station Name: Chawapal
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: CHA

Station Name: Dappar
District: Ajitgarh
Station Code: DHPR

Station Name: Dasuya
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: DZA

Station Name: Dhandhari Kalan
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: DDL

Station Name: Dhariwal
District: Gurudaspur
Station Code: DHW

Station Name: Dinanagar
District: Gurudaspur
Station Code: DNN

Station Name: Doraha
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: DOA

Station Name: Fadrikot
District: Fadrikot
Station Code: FDK

Station Name: Fatehgarh Sahib
District: Fatehgarh Sahib
Station Code: FGSB

Station Name: Firozpur Cantonment
District: Firozpur
Station Code: FZR

Station Name: Gangsar Jaitu
District: Faridkot
Station Code: GJUT

Station Name: Ghanauli
District: Rupnagar district
Station Code: GANL

Station Name: Giddarbaha
District: Muktsar
Station Code: GDB

Station Name: Goneana
District: Bathinda
Station Code: GNA

Station Name: Goraya
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: GRY

Station Name: Govindgarh
District: Fatehgarh Sahib
Station Code: GVG

Station Name: Gurudaspur
District: Gurudaspur
Station Code: GSP

Station Name: Hoshiarpur
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: HSX

Station Name: Jalandhar City
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: JUC

Station Name: Jalandhar Cantt
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: JRC

Station Name: Jagraon
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: JGN

Station Name: Jandiala
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: JNL

Station Name: Kapurthala
District: Kapurthala
Station Code: KXH

Station Name: Kartarpur
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: KRE

Station Name: Khanna
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: KNN

Station Name: Kila Raipur
District: Ludhiana
Station Code: QRP

Station Name:  Kiratpur Sahib
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: KART

Station Name: Khurdpur
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: KUPR

Station Name: Kotkapura
District: Faridkot
Station Code: KKP

Station Name: Kotli Kalan
District: Mansa
Station Code: KTKL

Station Name: Kurali
District: Ajitgarh
Station Code: KRLI

Station Name: Lehra Gaga
District: Sangrur
Station Code: LHA

Station Name: Madhopur Punjab
District: Fatehgarh Sahib
Station Code: MDBP

Station Name: Makhu
District: Firozpur
Station Code: MXH

Station Name: Maler Kotla
District: Sangrur
Station Code: MET

Station Name: Mallanwala Khas
District: Firozpur
Station Code: MWX

Station Name: Malout
District: Muktsar
Station Code: MOT

Station Name: Malsian Shahkht
District: Jalndhar
Station Code: MQS

Station Name: Mansa
District: Mansa
Station Code: MSZ

Station Name: Maur
District: Bathinda
Station Code: MAUR

Station Name: Mirthal
District: Pathankot
Station Code: MRTL

Station Name: Moga
District: Moga
Station Code: MOGA

Station Name: Morinda
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: MRND

Station Name: Mukerian
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: MEX

Station Name: Nabha
District: Patiala
Station Code: NBA

Station Name: Nangal Dam
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: NLDM

Station Name: Nasrala
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: NAS

Station Name: Naya Nanagal
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: NNGL

Station Name: Nurmahal
District: Jalandhar
Station Code: NRM

Station Name: Patiala
District: Patiala
Station Code: PTA

Station Name: Raman
District: Sangrur
Station Code: RMN

Station Name: Rampura Phul
District: Bathinda
Station Code: PUL

Station Name: Rupnagar
District: Rupnagar
Station Code: RPAR

Station Name: Sangrur
District: Sangrur
Station Code: SAG

Station Name: Shahibzada Asngr (Ajitgarh/Mohali)
District: Ajitgarh
Station Code: SASN

Station Name: Sham Chourasi
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: SCQ

Station Name: Sujanpur
District: Pathankot
Station Code: SJNP

Station Name: Sultanpur Lodhi
District: Kapurthala
Station Code: SQR

Station Name: Sunam
District: Sangrur
Station Code: SFM

Station Name: Talwandi
District: Firozpur
Station Code: TWB

Station Name: Tanda Urmar
District: Hoshiarpur
Station Code: TDO
Also See: Trains Passing Through Khanna | Railway Stations in Jalandhar | Trains From Jalandhar Station | Amritsar Railway Station | Trains Passing Through Ajitgarh | Trains Passing Through Barnala | Bathinda Railway Station | Trains From Bathinda Junction | Trains From Moga | Trains From Pathankot

Airways in Punjab

Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport at Amritsar

Punjab has a number of military and civil airports located in different parts of the state. However, most of them cater to domestic traffic only. As of now, Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, located at a distance of 11 km from Amritsar on Amritsar-Ajnala Road is the only international airport in Punjab.

International Airports in Punjab

Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport handles around 100 domestic and international flights per week. It has a total area of 40,175 sq meters and peak hour capacity of 1,200 passengers. In addition, the airport is equipped with modern facilities such as inline Flight Information Display System (FIDS), Common Use Terminal Equipment (CUTE), X-ray baggage inspection and conveyor system, CCTV etc. Moreover, the airport has 30 check-in counters, 10 custom counters, 26 immigration counters, 12 security check booths, 4 X-ray scanners for baggage and 4 conveyor belts.

In addition to the above mentioned international airport, another one is now being built near Ajitgarh in Jheorehri village over 305 acres of land. It is hoped that the airport, which is jointly financed by the Airport Authority of India, Government of Punjab and Government of Haryana, is going to start operating very soon. Until that happens, international passenger will have to depend upon Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport or travel to Delhi to catch flights from there.

Domestic Airports in Punjab

In addition to the above mentioned Sri Guru Ram Das Jee International Airport, Punjab has few domestic airports to cater to domestic traffic. Chandigarh Airport is one of them. Flights from all over India land up at this airport, thereby connecting the state with rest of India.

Ludhiana Airport, officially known as Sahnewal Aiport, is another important airport in Punjab. It is open to both civilian and air force flights. Besides, there are two other airports at Pathankot and Bathinda. The later is actually located in Virik Kalam near Bathinda and has been built at Rupees 25 Crores over 42 acres of land. However, it has since remained close to commercial flights. The Pathankot airport on the other hand is mainly a military airport; but of late a few commercial flights by the national carrier to Kullu and Delhi have started operating from there.
18377

Related Links

Major Cities You Must Know

Are you a Business Owner?

Add the products or services you offer

Promote your business on your local city site and get instant enquiries

+ LIST YOUR BUSINESS FOR FREE