The Victoria Railway Bridge over Jhelum Riveris a steel-fabricated structure measuring about 2,720 feet (829 metres) in length.

The monumental bridge continues to serve railway traffic as well as pedestrians travelling between Haranpur (Pind Dadan Khan and Khewra) on one end and Chak Nizam village in Malakwal across Jhelum River.

The railway network in Khewra in the Salt Range was originally developed for the transportation of pink salt, limestone and coal from the region, as well as for the movement of soldiers recruited from this ‘land of warriors’.

The Victoria Railway Bridge, built about 150 years ago during British rule, is still considered a masterpiece of engineering because of its strength, beauty and unique style of construction.

Chaudhry Sarmad Ehsan Sadiq, a student at Oberlin College in the United States with a keen interest in ancient history, explained the strategic significance of the Victoria Bridge for the British rulers in the subcontinent.

“An all-time-high imperial paranoia over the Great Game was the primary driver behind the expedited construction of the bridge. When the Victoria Bridge was completed in 1887, railway engineers rapidly drove the tracks forward to Pind Dadan Khan and Khushab. British engineers desperately hoped to push the railway over the Indus River, tying in Dera Ismail Khan and the hills of Zhob,” he said.

Mr Sarmad added, “In the eyes of the Raj, it would allow the army stationed in Punjab to strike the looming flashpoints of Kandahar and Kabul at a moment’s notice.”

“The Victoria Railway Bridge is not just a bridge but a living monument to the history of the Indo-Pak subcontinent, a heritage of the North Western Railway, and one of the finest examples of British-era engineering,” remarked Aqeel Ahmed, a social media activist focusing on Pothohar culture.

Time has passed, but this historic bridge still stands in its original glory. It is located at the junction of three districts — Mandi Bahauddin, Sargodha and Jhelum — and provides railway access from Malakwal Junction to Pind Dadan Khan, Dandot and up to Khushab on one track. Another independent track, originating from Chalisa Station (near Pind Dadan Khan), directly routes trains to Khewra, home to the world’s second-largest pink salt mine.

Malakwal Railway Junction remains operational for trains bound for Sargodha, Faisalabad and Karachi after their bifurcation from the main line at Lala Musa Junction.

A small metal plate on the bridge bears the inscription: “JESSOP & Co Ltd, DUM-DUM, 1939. Contract No. 20079/1885/1 Standard M.L. (B.G.) Loading of 1933.”

Jessop & Co. Ltd. was a leading manufacturer of rail rollers, cranes and steel structures based in the Dum Dum area of Kolkata. At the time, the company was owned by the British Government of India.

The bridge is also unique for having pedestrian tracks on both sides that are used by pedestrians and motorcyclists, as it serves as the only crossing in the absence of a road bridge across the river in the area.

Muhammad Waseem Wasi, a journalist based in Pind Dadan Khan, regretted that because of the absence of a bridge for vehicular traffic over the river, people from Pind Dadan Khan have to travel more than 170 miles to reach the Malakwal area and vice versa, despite the two places lying opposite each other across the river.

He said successive governments had made promises to voters on both sides, but none of the leaders in power had been able to connect the two ends through a road bridge at the junction of the Gujranwala, Sargodha and Rawalpindi divisions.

Mr Wasi further pointed out that commuters needing to cross the river often had to transport themselves and their vehicles on boats to reach their destinations. He said several drowning incidents had claimed precious lives.

He said that during a recent visit to Pind Dadan Khan, Provincial Minister for Communications Sohaib Ahmed Bharth assured journalists that the issue would be brought to the notice of the Punjab chief minister.

The Divisional Transport Officer of Pakistan Railways, Rawalpindi, Waqarun Nisa, said in response to queries that only one shuttle train was operating daily between Malakwal and Pind Dadan Khan railway stations.

She added that freight trains carrying coal and limestone could operate up to Khewra Station as required or on the orders of an industrial unit, but no passenger train currently operates to Khewra.

When asked why Pakistan Railways was not providing a shuttle train capable of transporting vans and other vehicles across the river to reduce the risks associated with boat travel, the DTO said the proposal could be examined for feasibility.

When asked why Pakistan Railways was not tapping into the tourism potential of the world-famous Khewra Salt Mines, the officer said the department was already facing a shortage of rolling stock and that any final decision would have to be taken at a higher level.

Meanwhile, the dilapidated condition of railway station buildings and residential colonies in Khewra and Pind Dadan Khan reflects poor management of assets inherited from the colonial administration, which had maintained high standards of construction and public facilities.

Residents said the railway section from Pind Dadan Khan through Dandot to Khushab has remained abandoned for decades. However, they believe tourism to the Khewra Salt Mines could be promoted by operating safari trains from Malakwal Junction, coordinated with trains arriving from Islamabad, Lala Musa, Sargodha, Faisalabad, Multan and Karachi.

Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2026