Punjab gets a major railway boost: Chandigarh–Rajpura track approved, new Vande Bharat to run
Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): The Railways has announced a major relief for the people of Punjab. The long-delayed Chandigarh-Rajpura rail project has been given the green light. This new 18-kilometer track will cost approximately ₹443 crore. This track will pass through Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala and its completion will directly benefit passengers throughout Punjab, including the Malwa region.
With the addition of this line, Chandigarh will now be directly connected to Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. Previously, trains used to travel via Ambala but the reduced distance will save passengers both time and money. According to the Railways, the project is targeted to be completed in three years, and the state government has been requested for cooperation in land acquisition. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav stated that he would discuss this matter directly with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu was also present.
The Railway Minister also revealed that a proposal is underway to run a new Vande Bharat train from Punjab. The train will depart from Firozpur Cantt and reach Delhi via Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala Cantt, Kurukshetra and Panipat. The train will cover a total distance of 486 kilometers in 6 hours and 40 minutes. The train will depart from Firozpur at 7:55 am and arrive in Delhi at 2:30 pm. On its return journey, it will depart from Delhi at 4:00 pm and arrive in Firozpur at 10:35 pm. This service will operate six days a week (except Wednesday). Currently, two Vande Bharat trains are already operating on the Amritsar-Delhi and Amritsar-Katra routes.
The Railway
Minister stated that prior to 2014, Punjab received ₹225 crore in the railway budget, which has now been increased to ₹5,421 crore. Currently, the state has an investment of approximately ₹25,000 crore from the railways.
407 underpasses and flyovers have been completed.
30 new "Amrit Stations" are being developed, each costing ₹20 crore.
Punjab's 1,634-kilometer railway line has been fully electrified.
The Railways has announced the running of 12,000 special trains for the convenience of passengers during the Diwali and Chhath festivals. These trains will run from October 1st to November 15th. Last year, over 7,500 trains were run while this time the number has been increased to 12,000. Of these, 10,000 trains have already been notified.