The BJP-led NDA government has announced two major railway projects for Punjab. These include the long-awaited Rajpura-Mohali rail link and a new Vande Bharat train from Ferozepur to Delhi.
The Rajpura-Mohali rail link, first demanded in Parliament in 1976, will reduce the travel distance by 66 km. It will save time for passengers moving between Patiala and Chandigarh. The 18-km line will cost ₹443 crore and is expected to be completed in two to three years. This link will connect all 13 Malwa districts to Chandigarh, reduce traffic on the Rajpura-Ambala route, and require very little farmland acquisition.
The new Vande Bharat train will run daily, except Wednesday, between Ferozepur and Delhi. Covering 486 km through Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, and Ambala, it will take just six hours and 40 minutes.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and MoS Ravneet Singh Bittu announced the projects. Bittu said the Centre will give fair compensation for land and urged farmers to support the project. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to flag off the Vande Bharat train soon.
