Nearly six years after the International Dry Port (IDP) was inaugurated at the Khasa railway station, the facility remains significantly underutilised. Sources within the Railways indicate that the station currently handles only about 20 trains per month, primarily transporting rice and wheat. These sacks of grain are subsequently moved to government warehouses located in Majitha, Attari, Chabal, Bharariwal, and other nearby areas.
Current Operations and Capacity
In addition to grain shipments, trains carrying paper, fertiliser, and coal from various parts of the country also arrive at Khasa for unloading. However, the IDP has been operating well below its capacity since the import of dry fruit, fresh fruit, herbs, and spices from Afghanistan came to a halt last year. Importers and exporters believe that resuming trade with Pakistan and Afghanistan could transform Khasa into one of the busiest dry ports in the region.
Historical and Structural Changes
Rameshinder Singh Sandhu, a travel writer from the village, recalled that before the capacity expansion and development of the Khasa railway station into an IDP, its colonial-era building was demolished. This action erased over a century of memories and the charm the station held for local villagers. The transformation was part of a broader plan to decongest the Amritsar railway station by shifting cargo-handling operations from the Chheharta railway station to Khasa. A state-of-the-art electronic interlocking system was also made operational at Khasa to support its new role.
Khasa railway station serves as the last stop for trains before the final border station at Attari. It is not a busy passenger station, with only two passenger trains passing through daily—one in the morning and one in the evening—running between Amritsar and Attari. Despite its low passenger traffic, the station has featured in several films, including the Salman Khan starrer Bharat, where it was showcased in trailers as one of the railway stations during the Partition era.
