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Panjab - How to Reach
Getting around in Punjab is not difficult,
but one should know the possible means of transportation before going to
Punjab. Punjab is easy to reach by road, train, or airplane. From New
Delhi, Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, is 246 kilometers. Amritsar,
the holiest city for the Sikhs, is 446 kilometers.
Roadways
The entire Punjab State is connected through an extensive network of
medalled roads. State Highways connect major cities to the state
capital. NH 1 or the Grand Trunk Road connects the state with most of
the north as well as east India.
Punjab has about 35,000 kilometers of
state and rural roads. The national highway is about 1000 kilometers.
The roads link the 12,342 villages and national highways connect the
major towns. Driving from one end of the state to the other takes six
hours. Driving from Delhi to Punjab takes four hours.
Almost all major towns and cities have
buses going to Chandigarh. Villages have buses going to the nearest
major town. Between the major cities, New Delhi, Patiala, Ludhiana,
Jalandhar, Amritsar, and Chandigarh, there are deluxe bus services. In
addition, there is taxi service available in various towns.
Railways
Punjab is extensively linked to the other parts of the country by rail.
Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Pathankot, and Jalandhar are the major
railway hubs in the state from where one can take trains for most parts
of the country. Trains pass through all major towns and cities.
Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar, Ferozepur and Jalandhar are on the main
line and have excellent daily train services and overnight trains to New
Delhi. By express trains, travelling from Delhi to Chandigarh takes
three hours. Travelling from Delhi to Amritsar via Ludhiana takes six
hours. If given the opportunity, try to travel by train, the trip is
scenic and travelling is relatively convenient.
Airways
Chandigarh and Amritsar both have airports are connected to other cities
in India by regular flights. Indian airlines do have regular flights
from Chandigarh to Delhi, Lucknow, Leh, and Amritsar. Jet air also has
regular flights to Chandigarh. Domestic travel by plane within all of
India is relatively expensive. However, Chandigarh has excellent air
service, and it is linked with Delhi. Ludhiana and Amritsar also have
daily air service to New Delhi. Furthermore, Amritsar airport is an
international airport. By airplane, from Delhi one can reach any city in
Punjab within two hours. |
