The Kangra Valley Railway is a narrow-gauge line running 164 km from Pathankot on the plains to Jogindernagar in the mountains, passing through Kangra town roughly in the middle of its journey. The route crosses the foothills of the Himalayas, with the Dhauladhar range as a constant backdrop, and is widely regarded as one of the most scenic rail journeys in India.
The train is slow — the full journey takes around five hours each way — and that is entirely the point. You travel through rice paddies, tea gardens, apple orchards, and small hill towns, with views opening up across the valley at every curve. The trains are not air-conditioned and can be crowded in peak season, but the second-class carriages are perfectly comfortable. A partial journey from Kangra to Palampur (about 30 km) gives a good sample of the route.