Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu announced plans to discuss the establishment of the Mohali-Rajpura broad-gauge rail link and expedite the preparation of the detailed project report (DPR).
This rail link is set to connect Chandigarh with Punjab, significantly shortening the journey on the New Delhi-Amritsar main line. Bittu expressed his commitment to addressing this long standing demand of the people of Punjab during his first press conference as a Union minister.
He stated his intention to raise the matter with Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw. The proposed rail link aims to reduce the current journey distance by 55 km compared to the Rajpura-Ambala route and provide a shorter alternative to the Mohali-Morinda link.
Despite the preparation of a DPR in 2016-17 with a project cost of Rs 312.53 crore, there has been no response from the Punjab government after almost eight years.
Bittu emphasised the need to revise the DPR and engage with the Punjab government to move the project forward. Providing insights into the rail link, he mentioned that the section would cover 38.880 km across three districts: SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala.
Additionally, he highlighted the government's focus on developing new rail lines in Punjab, targeting a 55 km stretch in the Ludhiana-Mullanpur, Ludhiana Kila-Raipur, and Nangal Dam-Talwara Mukerian corridors in the current financial year, with an estimated cost of about Rs 2,400 crore.
Furthermore, Bittu discussed the redevelopment of 30 stations in Punjab under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. These stations include key locations such as Amritsar, Bathinda, Ludhiana, Patiala, and Sangrur, among others.
This initiative aims to enhance passenger amenities and infrastructure at railway stations across the state, catering to the needs of commuters and promoting regional connectivity.
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