Punjab: Railways to revive century-old QadianBeas line
CHANDIGARH: With 14 months remaining before the Punjab Assembly elections, the wait for the 40 km QadianBeas rail line is finally nearing an end after 100 years. The Indian Railways has officially decided to restart work on the project, even though construction had begun nearly a century ago under the British. The line had remained in the freeze category for years due to alignment constraints, land acquisition issues, and local political roadblocks. Sources said that a letter from the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Northern Railway, states that the Railway Board has sought the immediate defreezing of the project and the re-submission of the detailed estimate for early sanction so construction can begin. Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Singh, alias Bittu, directed officials to defreeze the project. He said his focus remains on initiating new projects, completing pending ones, and reviving those abandoned due to unforeseen challenges. I knew the importance of this project. Hence, I asked the officials concerned to remove all impediments and restart construction work. This track will give a major boost to the struggling industrial units of Batala, the regions steel town. He further stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have made it clear that funding will not be a hurdle for Punjabs railway development. This rail track was planned and sanctioned in 1929 by the British government. The line was to be constructed by the North Western Railway. However, in 1932, the project was halted after nearly 33 per cent of the track had been completed. It resurfaced in the 2010 Railway Budget under the socially desirable projects category, which focuses on inclusive transport access regardless of profitability. However, financial concerns raised by the Planning Commission once again stalled progress. Welcoming the fresh initiative by the Ministry of Railways to revive the long-delayed project, Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa expressed hope that the New Year would finally bring the breakthrough the people of the region have awaited for nearly a century. Bajwa extended gratitude to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and MoS Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu for moving the project out of a prolonged bureaucratic freeze. He recalled that the QadianBeas link was first strongly pursued during his tenure as a Member of Parliament, when he persuaded then Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to prioritize it. He also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017, urging him to initiate work on the project. He said the rail link represents not merely an infrastructure requirement but a century-old aspiration of the people, as work on this line was first initiated under British rule in 1928 and has faced repeated delays despite its formal sanctioning in 2010. Bajwa noted that the 40-km line, originally estimated at 205 crore, has now escalated to around 840 crore due to years of administrative inertia. The demand highlights the collective will of residents, industrialists, and religious communities across Qadian, Beas, and Batala for its early completion. He emphasized the immense socio-economic value of the project, particularly for Qadian, which serves as the international headquarters of the Ahmadiyya sect and receives a steady flow of domestic and global visitors. He added that the rail link would significantly benefit Batalas industrial sector by providing direct access to the AmritsarDelhi corridor, and would also facilitate the movement of pilgrims visiting Dera Beas and the Baba Namdev Dera at Ghuman, thereby enriching the regions spiritual and cultural connectivity. Bajwa further stressed the strategic importance of the QadianBeas line, explaining that it would provide an alternative supply route to Jammu and Kashmir and greatly strengthen military logistics a factor of considerable national interest. He urged the Ministry of Railways to approve the detailed estimate without delay so that work on the ground may begin promptly.
17 C
