In a significant move for Punjab's infrastructure, the Indian Railways has decided to restart work on the long-pending 40-kilometer Qadian-Beas railway line. The project, which has been in a state of limbo for decades, has been officially "defrozen" on the directions of Minister of State for Railways, Ravneet Bittu.
A Century-Old Project Sees New Light
The Qadian-Beas rail link has a history stretching back to the British era. The project was first sanctioned in 1929 and taken up by the North-Western Railway. By 1932, nearly one-third of the construction was complete before it was abruptly shelved for reasons that remain unclear. The project saw a glimmer of hope when it was classified as a 'socially desirable project' and included in the 2010 Railway Budget. However, financial concerns raised by the then Planning Commission led to another stall.
In railway terminology, a 'frozen' project is one pushed into cold storage due to insurmountable obstacles. For the Qadian-Beas line, these included alignment challenges, difficulties in acquiring land, and complications at the local political level. The recent order to 'defreeze' signals a formal revival, meaning work can resume once all bottlenecks are addressed.
Political Push and Promises of Funds
Minister Ravneet Bittu stated that the top leadership of the government, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, have made it clear that there is no shortage of funds for railway projects in Punjab. "I am also tirelessly working to initiate new projects, complete pending projects, and revive the projects which were dumped due to unforeseen reasons," Bittu said.
He emphasized the line's importance for the region's economy, particularly for Batala, known as Punjab's 'steel town'. "This new track will give a vital boost to the struggling industrial units of Batala," Bittu added. The directive from the Railway Board is clear: the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction) of Northern Railway has been instructed to re-submit and get the detailed estimate sanctioned at the earliest so that physical construction can begin.
Cross-Party Welcome for the Revival
The move has received appreciation from across the political aisle. Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, welcomed the Union Railway Ministry's initiative. The Qadian legislator expressed hope that the New Year would finally bring the breakthrough the people have awaited for nearly a century.
Bajwa recalled his own efforts to push the project, including persuading former Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to prioritize it and meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2017 to urge him to initiate work. He stated that the rail link is not just an infrastructure need but a century-old aspiration of the people of the region.
The revival of the Qadian-Beas line is now part of a broader push to complete pending railway projects in Punjab, with the Mohali-Rajpura and Ferozpur-Patti lines also being actively pursued. After 95 years of delays, false starts, and bureaucratic hurdles, the region might finally see this crucial rail connection become a reality.
