Shimla:
The Central Government has provided detailed information in the Rajya Sabha regarding ongoing railway projects in Himachal Pradesh in response to a question raised by BJP leader and Member of Parliament Harsh Mahajan. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed the House that several major railway projects in the state are currently underway, involving investments worth thousands of crores of rupees.
Through his question, Harsh Mahajan had sought details about the current status of the Amb–Andaura railway line extension, the Bilaspur railway line, the Bilaspur–Manali–Leh rail project, and the proposal to convert the Pathankot–Jogindernagar narrow gauge line to broad gauge.
In his reply, the Railway Minister stated that the Amb–Andaura railway line is part of the existing Morinda–Rupnagar–Anandpur Sahib–Daulatpur Chowk route and is being extended to connect with the Mukerian and Jalandhar–Jammu rail corridors. Under this project, the 60-km stretch from Nangal Dam to Daulatpur Chowk has already been completed, while work is currently in progress on the 42-km Daulatpur Chowk–Mukerian section.
The Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli (10.5 km) section has been completed, while work is ongoing on the Kartoli–Talwara (13.65 km) stretch, including a 9.2-km viaduct, one major bridge, seven minor bridges, two ROBs and eight RUBs. Around 25 percent of the work in this section has been completed.
Similarly, work is underway on 13 major bridges in the Talwara–Mukerian (28.70 km) section, with about 70 percent progress achieved. Out of 40 RUBs, 29 have already been completed, while work continues on the remaining ones.
The minister also informed the House that the 33-km Chandigarh–Baddi new rail line project was approved at a cost of ₹1,540 crore, with the Central and Himachal Pradesh governments sharing the cost equally. So far, ₹1,068.88 crore has been spent on the project.
Out of the state’s share of ₹534 crore, the Himachal Pradesh government has deposited ₹348 crore, while ₹186 crore remains pending. Land acquisition for 97 hectares and forest clearances have been completed. Around 75 percent of the 9-km viaduct has been constructed, and work on bridges, ROBs and station buildings is currently in progress.
The Railway Minister further stated that the 63-km Bhanupli–Bilaspur–Beri new rail line project has been approved under a cost-sharing model, with 75 percent of the cost borne by the Centre and 25 percent by the state government. The estimated cost of the project is ₹6,753 crore, including ₹1,617 crore for land acquisition.
So far, ₹7,729 crore has already been spent on the project. The state government’s share amounts to ₹2,781 crore, out of which ₹847 crore has been deposited while ₹1,934 crore is still pending.
Under this project, 15 out of 16 tunnels have been completed, 10 out of 27 major bridges are ready, 6 out of 8 ROBs have been constructed and 4 out of 5 RUBs have been completed. Additionally, 3 out of the proposed 6 station buildings are ready.
The minister also informed that the 489-km Bilaspur–Manali–Leh railway line has been identified as a strategic project by the Defence Ministry. The survey has been completed and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared. The project is estimated to cost around ₹1.31 lakh crore and includes about 270 km of tunnels.
Apart from this, a survey has been sanctioned for converting the 200-km Pathankot–Jogindernagar narrow gauge railway line into broad gauge, and the preparation of the DPR is currently underway.
The Railway Ministry also highlighted a significant increase in budget allocation for railway infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh. While the average annual allocation between 2009–14 was ₹108 crore, it has increased to ₹2,716 crore for 2025–26, which is more than 25 times higher.
The minister stated that currently three new railway line projects covering a total length of 214 km are under development in Himachal Pradesh, with an estimated cost of ₹17,622 crore. Out of this, 64 km of railway lines have already been commissioned, and ₹8,280 crore had been spent on the projects by March 2025.
Harsh Mahajan said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central Government is continuously working to strengthen rail connectivity in Himachal Pradesh. He added that once these projects are completed, they will significantly boost tourism, trade and strategic connectivity in the state while accelerating overall development.
