PIONEEREDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Union minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has stated that the field survey for the 170-kilometre Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line is complete and that the detailed project report has also been prepared. The minister said this in the Lok Sabha while replying to a question raised by Nainital MP Ajay Bhatt. According to the DPR, the project is estimated to cost Rs 48,692 crore.
The Railway ministry informed that after preparation of the DPR, discussions with the State government along with various stakeholders and necessary approval from the NITI Aayog and Finance ministry is required for final approval of the project. As the approval of projects is a dynamic process, no fixed timeline can be stated for such tasks.
Vaishnaw further informed that the budgetary allocation for railway infrastructure has increased substantially from Rs 187 crore during 2009-14 to Rs 4,641 crore in 2025-26. The minister further said that three rail lines with a length of 216 kilometres costing Rs 40,384 had been approved in Uttarakhand.
According to the ministry, the 27-kilometre Deoband-Roorkee rail line project has been completed. This project will decrease the distance between Delhi and Dehradun by about 40 kilometres. Work on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line (125 kilometres) is progressing at a rapid pace. This project is vital for Uttarakhand where it will pass through mountainous areas. Out of the proposed 16 main tunnels and 12 escape tunnels, 13 and nine have been completed respectively. The ministry further informed that 11 railway stations in Uttarakhand have been selected for redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat station scheme.
These stations include Dehradun, Haridwar junction, Harrawala, Kashipur junction, Kathgodam, Kichha, Kotdwar, Lalkuan junction, Ramnagar, Roorkee and Tanakpur, among others. Further between 2014 and 2025, a total of 106 road over bridges/road under bridges were constructed and nine more such constructions costing Rs 158 crore have been approved in the State.
