The establishment of the Mohali-Rajpura broad-gauge rail link is set to be expedited, with the detailed project report (DPR) to be prepared promptly, Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu announced on Sunday.
Addressing his first press conference as Union Minister, Bittu revealed that the new rail link will connect Chandigarh with Punjab, creating the shortest route to the New Delhi-Amritsar main line at Sarai Banjara. He emphasized that this rail link is a long-standing demand of the people, reducing the journey by 55 kilometers compared to the current Rajpura-Ambala route and offering a shorter alternative to the Mohali-Morinda link.
Bittu also mentioned his plans to discuss the rail link project with Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw to ensure its swift progression.
The initial DPR, prepared in 2016-17, estimated the project cost at Rs 312.53 crore. Despite repeated reminders, the Punjab government has not yet responded. A revised DPR will be created and shared with the state government for further action, Bittu assured.
Detailing the project, Bittu stated that the rail link would span 38.880 kilometers, covering 43.192 hectares across the SAS Nagar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Patiala districts. In addition, Bittu announced a target to lay 55 kilometers of new rail lines in the current financial year for the Ludhiana-Mullanpur, Ludhiana Kila-Raipur, and Nangal Dam-Talwara Mukerian sections, with a projected cost of approximately Rs 2,400 crore.
Furthermore, the minister highlighted the redevelopment of 30 stations in Punjab under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The stations include Amritsar, Anandpur Sahib, Nangal Dam, Rupnagar, SAS Nagar, Bathinda, Mansa, Kotkapura, Moga, Sirhind, Abohar, Fazilka, Ferozpur Cantt, Muktsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot Cantt, Pathankot city, Hoshiarpur, Phagwara, Jalandhar Cantt, Jalandhar city, Phillaur, Beas, Kapurthala, Dhandari kalan, Ludhiana, Patiala, Dhuri, Malerkotla, and Sangrur.