008. Haranpur (Victoria) Railway Bridge , Jhelum. (And a gruesome story of 1947)

The railway bridge at Haranpur is a beautiful example of old iron railway bridges constructed during the British era. It was likely built in the 1890s and underwent renovation or repair in 1936. The bridge is also known as Victoria Bridge. It is a remarkable piece of engineering and well worth seeing. The scenery is equally captivating, with the River Jhelum flowing beneath it.

I visited the bridge on March 18, 2009, from the Haranpur side. Surrounded by large green trees, the atmosphere is peaceful and serene—an ideal spot for a picnic. The bridge is located about 35 kilometers from the Lilla Interchange on the M2 Motorway, at coordinates 32°34'52" N, 73°09'30" E.

 Fortified entrance of the bridge. Haranpur side. (18.03.2009.)

A view of the bridge. (18.03.2009.)

Another view of the Haranpur Railway Bridge. (18.03.2009.)

A view of the protective fortifications. (18.03.2009.)

Beautiful bank of the river Jhelum. (18.03.2009.)

Old beautiful trees on the riverbank, near the bridge. (18.03.2009.)

My friend and cousin, Nasir Mahmood. (18.03.2009.)

A passage for pedestrians and animals runs alongside the main railway bridge. (18.03.2009.) 

The bridge is a fine example of railway engineering. (18.03.2009.) 

The large girders are joined with rivets. (18.03.2009.) 

The bridge is supported by massive brick-and-concrete columns built on the riverbed. (18.03.2009.) 

There is a macabre story associated with this bridge. I was told that during the horrors of Partition in 1947, a train carrying thousands of Hindu and Sikh refugees was attacked here. The driver allegedly stopped the train right on the bridge, where rioters ambushed it from both ends. Thousands were killed, and only a few survived—those who managed to jump into the river and swim to the banks, where some were reportedly helped by local residents. I cannot verify this account, but I would appreciate it if anyone could provide more information, such as the exact date of the attack, who was responsible, where the train was coming from, and which region the victims belonged to.

My cousin Nasir Mahmood informed me just a few days ago, that the victims of this massacre were buried in well, near the railway station of Haranpur, but closer to the village of Osman. But how many were buried there, he could not inform. I shall try to find more information during my next vacation to Pakistan. (15.06.2014.)

Tariq Amir

May 14, 2014.

Doha - Qatar 

Several years later, I visited this place again, on August 14, 2015, and met an elderly gentleman who provided us with more information about the ghastly incident. Perhaps it was the details—or something else—that left a lasting impression on me, and I found myself unable to write about it at the time. Today, while going through old photos on my computer, I came across pictures from that second visit and decided to share them on my blog. Unfortunately, after all this time, I have forgotten the name of the narrator.

Near Haranpur, at the railway crossing, we asked the gatekeeper if he knew anything about the incident from 1947. He was completely unaware of it. However, he pointed toward the nearby railway colony and mentioned that a retired elderly man lived there who might be able to help us. We easily found him in one of the railway quarters. He was around eighty five years old, slightly hard of hearing, and living with his sons and grandchildren.

A retired employee of Pakistan Railways, who told us the story of this horrendous incident. (14.08.2015.)

According to the details he provided, the train was coming from the direction of Pind Dadan Khan and was traveling toward Malakwal. The mob intercepted the train about one and a half kilometers west of Haranpur, near a pond in a marshy area. The attackers were well-prepared and numbered in the thousands. They began killing people indiscriminately and threw the bodies into the pond and surrounding marshes. The pond still exists at 32°36'17.74"N, 73°08'3.76"E, beside the railway line. Now, after ten years, many of the details have faded from my memory.

The narrator was 17 years old in 1947, and interestingly, his father was working for the railways at the time and, by a strange coincidence, was the engine driver of the same ill-fated train. The gentleman was enthusiastically sharing the details when I made a tactical mistake: I asked him whether his father had prior knowledge of the attack. This question suddenly changed his mood—he became slightly agitated. From that point onward, he stopped sharing any further information, and all his responses turned negative.

He simply answered "no" to questions such as: Did he participate in any way? Did he see anything? Did he see the dead bodies?—even though he had already told us that he was 17 years old at the time, was in Haranpur during the incident, and that nearly five thousand people had been killed.

Marshes. (14.08.2015.)

A pond near the railway line. (14.08.2015.)

The railway line. Looking towards Haranpur. (14.08.2015.)

He also told me that, in addition to this incident, two more trains were attacked near Malakwal, on the other side of the River Jhelum. Attacks on trains were a widespread phenomenon during Partition on both sides, yet it is surprising that there is so little detailed material available on this important subject. Perhaps someday I will be able to find more information.

Tariq Amir

July 5, 2025.

Islamabad

View Haranpur Bridge in a larger map