NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of State (Railways and Food Processing Industries) Ravneet Singh Bittu today announced that there is no shortage of funds for railway development projects in Punjab. He stated that the annual railway budget allocation for Punjab has now increased by nearly 25 times to ₹5,673 crore compared to the period 2009–2014.
Infrastructure projects worth ₹26,382 crore are currently underway across the state, including new rail lines, station redevelopment, safety upgrades, and other capacity enhancement works.
He informed that 30 railway stations in the state are being comprehensively redeveloped at a cost of ₹1,311 crore under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme to provide modern facilities and improved services to passengers.
Expressing gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister and the Railway Minister, he appreciated the approval of the construction of the third and fourth railway lines between Delhi and Ambala.
This important project is part of the comprehensive plan to quadruple the Delhi–Jammu Corridor, a key route connecting the National Capital Region with the northern states. The 194-kilometer project is estimated to cost ₹5,983 crore and is targeted to be completed in four years.
The upgraded corridor will improve connectivity to major pilgrimage and tourist destinations such as Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, Srinagar, Jammu, and Shimla, boosting tourism and regional development.
Ravneet Singh Bittu also announced the commencement of construction work on a Road Under Bridge (RUB) at Nalunga (km 94.030) near Mirthal railway station on the Jalandhar Cantt–Pathankot (JRC–PTKC) section.
This RUB is designed to span two railway lines with a 7.5-meter span, 5.5-meter clear height, and a 32-degree skew. The Jammu Division has proposed this work at a revised cost of ₹18.28 crore.
Regarding the traffic problem on the narrow gauge line, he stated that this section has 12 level crossing gates, where high-traffic vehicle units (TVUs) are located at very short distances (100–200 meters) and the area falls within a densely populated urban area.
Prolonged closure of the gates during full operation of narrow gauge trains results in traffic congestion, disruption of emergency services, public complaints, and law and order issues. This section remains a major operational bottleneck, with no short-term engineering solution available.
As a long-term solution, it is proposed to develop a DLSR located approximately 10 kilometers from Pathankot Junction, where ample land is available and there are fewer level crossings, thereby minimizing urban interference. The estimated cost of capacity enhancement work at DLSR is ₹21.42 crore, which includes provision of two stabling lines, one pit line, one sick line, one diesel loco pit line and one shunting neck.
Speaking on the redevelopment of Pathankot Cantt Railway Station, Ravneet Singh Bittu said that technical consultancy has been proposed for feasibility study, master planning, urban designing, engineering and preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for integrated redevelopment.
