New rail line and Vande Bharat Express for Punjab
By Arun Kumar Das
New Delhi, Sep 23 (BVI): The long-awaited rail link between Rajpura and Mohali in Punjab has been sanctioned and with this all the 13 districts of Malwa region will get connected with Chandigarh.
While making this announcement today, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “It fulfils more than 50-year old demand of the people of Punjab.”
A new Vande Bharat Express has been proposed connecting Firozpur Cantt.→ Bathinda → Patiala → Delhi. The service: will be 6 days a week (except Wednesday) and the journey time is 6 hours 40 minutes covering 486 km.
Vaishnaw said the Vande Bharat train will be pressed into service soon after due sanction.
The 18-km long Rajpura-Mohali new line will cost Rs 443 crores and will directly connect the Malwa region with the state capital Chandigarh.
Key benefits of the New Line:
Till now, trains from Ludhiana have to go through Ambala to reach Chandigarh, adding extra distance and time. With the new line, there will be a direct connection between Rajpura and Mohali, reducing travel distance by approximately 66 km.
It will ease traffic on the existing Rajpura-Ambala route and shorten the Ambala-Morinda link.
Among all the available options, this route was chosen because it requires the least agricultural land acquisition, ensuring minimal impact on farming activities.
Connectivity to Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib, Shrine of Shaikh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi, Haveli Todar Mal, Sanghol Museum etc will also be smooth with the new rail link.
Vaishnaw also announced that railway operations have shown significant improvement, with above 90 per cent punctuality achieved in 29 out of 70 railway divisions across the country. Some divisions have been performing with a punctuality rate of over 98 per cent.
This has been possible because of better infrastructure, planning and smoother operations across the railway network, he said. (BVI)
