The Indian Railways has decided to restart work on the long-pending 40 km Qadian–Beas rail line, a project whose origins date back to 1929 during British rule. Nearly one-third of the construction was completed by 1932, but the project was suddenly halted and remained frozen for decades due to alignment issues, land acquisition hurdles, and local political challenges.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu has now directed officials to defreeze the project and revive construction. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have assured full funding support for all major railway projects in Punjab.
Bittu added that the central government is actively pushing to revive stalled projects and accelerate new ones, including the Mohali–Rajpura and Firozpur–Patti lines.
Northern Railway officials confirmed that the Railway Board wants the Qadian–Beas project restarted at the earliest. Fresh detailed estimates will be resubmitted soon to secure final approval.
The project was included in the 2010 Railway Budget as a socially desirable line but was halted again due to financial concerns raised by the Planning Commission.
With all major issues resolved, the long-delayed Qadian–Beas rail project is finally set to move forward.
