TAUSEEF AHMAD
NEW DELHI, July 24: The Centre has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to strengthen railway connectivity across Punjab while laying the groundwork for an additional rail corridor to Jammu and Kashmir, with the Union government informing Parliament that the ₹443-crore Rajpura–Mohali railway line has been sanctioned and land acquisition is underway.
The announcement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli railway section in Punjab, another milestone in the expansion of the northern railway network aimed at improving connectivity between Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 659, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the 18-km Rajpura–Mohali new railway line has been approved at an estimated cost of ₹443 crore. The project has been declared a Special Railway Project, with around 73 hectares of land required for construction. Preliminary land acquisition notifications have already been issued, and ₹100 crore has been allocated for the project during the 2026-27 financial year.
According to the ministry, the new railway line will directly connect Rajpura Junction, Sarai Banjara and Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali), providing a shorter and more direct rail route for passengers travelling from Punjab’s Malwa region to Chandigarh while bypassing Ambala. The project is expected to improve passenger mobility, reduce travel time and boost the regional economy.
The parliamentary reply gains added significance as it follows the inauguration of the 10.5-km Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli section, part of the 123-km Nangal Dam–Talwara–Mukerian New Railway Line Project. The newly commissioned stretch strengthens rail connectivity between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh and is expected to improve access to key pilgrimage centres, including Anandpur Sahib and Mata Chintpurni Temple, while benefiting residents of remote areas with faster and safer rail services.
The Railway Ministry has also reaffirmed that the Nangal Dam–Talwara–Mukerian corridor is being developed with the potential to provide an additional and alternative rail route to Jammu and Kashmir. Once the remaining sections between Kartoli, Talwara and Mukerian are completed, the line will connect with the Jalandhar–Jammu railway network, reducing dependence on the existing Jalandhar–Pathankot corridor. Officials said the additional route is expected to make travel to Jammu and Kashmir easier, more accessible and operationally resilient, while improving freight movement, tourism and strategic connectivity to the Union Territory.
According to the Railways, the 60-km Nangal Dam–Daulatpur Chowk section has already been commissioned. On the remaining 42-km Daulatpur Chowk–Mukerian stretch, all works on the 10.5-km Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli section have been completed, while construction is progressing on the Kartoli–Talwara and Talwara–Mukerian sections. Around 70 per cent of major bridge work has been completed on the Talwara–Mukerian stretch, with 29 of 40 road underbridges and two of three station buildings already finished.
The Centre is simultaneously pushing several railway projects in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Haryana to improve regional connectivity. In Himachal Pradesh, work is progressing on the 63-km Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri railway line, where 15 of 16 tunnels, 10 major bridges, six road overbridges and four road underbridges have been completed. The Railways said the project’s pace has been affected by pending land acquisition and financial commitments from the state government.
The ministry also reiterated that the 489-km Bilaspur–Manali–Leh strategic railway line, identified by the Ministry of Defence, has completed its Detailed Project Report. Estimated to cost around ₹1.31 lakh crore, the line will pass through Mandi, Manali, Keylong, Sarchu and Leh, with nearly 270 km of tunnels, significantly enhancing connectivity to Ladakh and strengthening India’s strategic rail infrastructure in the Himalayas.
In neighbouring Haryana, work is advancing on the 33-km Chandigarh–Baddi railway line, which will improve connectivity between Chandigarh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. About 75 per cent of the viaduct work has been completed, although the Railways said progress has been impacted by delays in the release of the Himachal Pradesh government’s share of project funding.
The ministry informed Parliament that the Bathinda–Rajpura railway section has already been upgraded to support train speeds of 110 kmph. It added that Indian Railways is modernising tracks using heavier rails, concrete sleepers, flash butt welding, mechanised maintenance, rail grinding machines and advanced track monitoring systems to improve safety, reliability and speed potential.
At present, there is no direct rail link between Rajpura and Mohali. Goods trains moving from the Malwa region towards Sirhind currently require an engine reversal at Rajpura, resulting in operational delays. The proposed railway line is expected to eliminate this bottleneck and create a more efficient route connecting southern Punjab with Chandigarh.
The ministry further said the proposed Rajpura–Mohali line could also provide an additional connectivity option between Delhi and Chandigarh via Mohali in the future. However, the introduction of new train services will depend on track capacity, rolling stock availability and operational requirements.
The Centre also highlighted a substantial increase in railway investment in Punjab. Budget allocation for railway infrastructure projects and safety works in the state has risen from an average of ₹225 crore annually during 2009-14 to ₹5,673 crore for 2026-27. As of April 1, 2026, 11 railway projects, including six new lines and five doubling projects covering 745 km at a sanctioned cost of ₹24,708 crore, are under various stages of implementation.
With the Rajpura–Mohali line moving towards execution, the Daulatpur Chowk–Kartoli section operational, and major projects progressing in Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, the Centre’s railway expansion strategy is expected to strengthen northern India’s transport network while creating an additional and alternative rail corridor to Jammu and Kashmir, making travel to the Union Territory faster, easier and more accessible, besides boosting tourism, trade, freight movement and regional economic development.
