Garhwal Post Bureau
New Delhi, 20 Aug: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw today informed the Lok Sabha, while replying to a question raised by Nainital MP and former Union Minister Ajay Bhatt, that the field survey for the proposed 170-km Tanakpur–Bageshwar new railway line has been completed and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been prepared. According to the DPR, the estimated cost of the project stands at Rs 48,692 crores. However, the report notes that the traffic potential of the project remains comparatively low.
The Railway Ministry stated that once the Detailed Project Report is prepared, the project requires consultations with various stakeholders, including the State Government, and approvals are needed from bodies such as NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance. As project approvals are a continuous and dynamic process, no fixed timeline can be prescribed in advance for its clearance.
Providing further information, Vaishnaw said that budget allocations for railway infrastructure in Uttarakhand have increased nearly 25 times over the years. During the period 2009–14, the average annual budget for the State was Rs 187 crore, which has now risen to Rs 4,641 crore in the financial year 2025–26. As of 1 April 2025, three new railway lines totalling 216 kilometres in length and involving an investment of Rs 40,384 crore have already been sanctioned in the State.
