The geography of Himachal presents considerable challenge to the development of transport infrastructure. Nevertheless, the state has made significant progress in road connectivity in the last few decades. Himachal at present has the highest road density among all the hill states of India.
There are three airports in the state of Himachal Pradesh. They are at Bhuntar, Gaggal and Jubbarhatti. The air routes connect the state with Delhi and Chandigarh. There are no international airports in Himachal Pradesh. Vayudoot services connect Jubbarhatti, 23 km from Shimla, with Kullu, Chandigarh and Delhi. Jagson Airlines has flights from Delhi to Shimla.[1]
Himachal Pradesh is not very well connected by railways as it is not a easy task to construct railway lines in the high altitude and rugged terrain. The Pathankot-Jogindernagar line is the longest railway line connecting Punjab with Himachal Pradesh. The other railway tracks pass through Shimla, Solan and Una. Shimla is connected with Kalka by a narrow gauge railway line, which in turn is connected with the major cities in India.
It is difficult to construct and maintain new roads in the hilly areas of the state. Most of the important places of Himachal Pradesh are well connected with the roadways. Eight national highways (NH) pass through the state with a total length of 1235 km. Few of the roads get closed during winters and monsoon seasons due to snowfall and landslides. Regular bus services connect Shimla with Chandigarh, Kullu, Manali, Delhi, Mandi, Pathankot, Amble, Chail and Dehradun. Local taxis are the major local transport here. Its really surprising that District Hamirpur has got highest road density in the country.
- ^ "Transportation in Himachal Pradesh". www.himachalpradeshindia.com. Retrieved 2007-1-31.
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