Garhwal Post Bureau
New Delhi, 18 Mar: In the Lok Sabha, today, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, responded to questions raised by MPs Trivendra Singh Rawat and Ajay Bhatt regarding rail projects in Uttarakhand and the details thereof.
Minister Vaishnaw stated in his response that there has been a significant increase in the budgetary allocation for infrastructure projects and safety-related works in Uttarakhand. While an average of Rs 187 crore per year was spent during the 2009–14 period, this figure has risen to approximately Rs 4,641 crore in the year 2025–26, marking an increase of nearly 25 times.
As of 1 April 2025, approval has been granted for three new railway lines in Uttarakhand—either wholly or partially situated within the state—spanning a total length of 216 kilometres at a cost of Rs 40,384 crore. Of these, 16 kilometres of railway line have already been commissioned, and an expenditure of Rs 19,898 crore has been incurred as of March 2025. Work on the new Deoband–Roorkee railway line (27 km) has been completed, which will reduce the distance between Delhi and Dehradun by approximately 40 kilometres. Additionally, the new Rishikesh–Karnaprayag railway line (125 km) is a significant project that traverses the districts of Dehradun, Tehri Garhwal, Pauri Garhwal, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli; it will connect religious sites such as Devprayag and Karnaprayag with Rishikesh and the National Capital. This project primarily involves the construction of tunnels, with proposals for 16 main tunnels spanning 104 kilometres and 12 escape tunnels spanning approximately 98 kilometres. To date, the construction of 99 kilometres of main tunnels and 94 kilometres of escape tunnels has been completed. To accelerate the project, eight access roads (totalling 5 km) have been constructed, all of which are now complete. Furthermore, out of 19 major bridges, the construction of 8 has been completed, while work on the remaining ones is in progress. Across various sections, tunnelling and lining work is either largely complete or in its final stages.
Over the last three years—specifically from 2022-23 to 2025-26—seven surveys covering a total length of 441 kilometres have been sanctioned in Uttarakhand; these include three new line projects and four doubling projects. The Ministry of Railways also stated that the construction of Road Over Bridges (ROBs) and Road Under Bridges (RUBs) to replace level crossings is a continuous process, prioritised based on safety, traffic volume, and feasibility. During the period 2004–14, 4,148 bridges were constructed; this figure rose to 14,024 during 2014–26 (up to January 2026), a total that includes 106 bridges in Uttarakhand. As of 1 February 2026, a total of 4,802 such bridges have been sanctioned across the Indian Railways network at a cost of Rs 1,14,196 crore; this includes nine bridges in Uttarakhand, sanctioned at a cost of Rs 158 crore, which are currently in various stages of execution.
Under the “Amrit Bharat Station Scheme,” the Ministry of Railways has planned the redevelopment of 1,338 stations nationwide. This includes 11 stations in Uttarakhand: Dehradun, Haridwar, Harrawala, Kashipur, Kathgodam, Kichha, Kotdwar, Lalkuan, Ramnagar, Roorkee, and Tanakpur. Initiatives under this scheme encompass improvements to station infrastructure, upgraded waiting halls, restrooms, lifts and escalators, parking facilities, amenities for persons with disabilities, passenger information systems, and the “One Station One Product” initiative. Work is progressing rapidly at several stations, and significant milestones have already been achieved at some locations. A total of Rs 6,895 crore has been allocated for station development under the Northern Railway and North Eastern Railway zones over the last three years and the current year, out of which Rs 6,172 crore has already been utilised.
Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that, in addition to this, Indian Railways has introduced 18 new train services between the years 2023–24 and 2025–26 (up to February 2026) to enhance passenger convenience in Uttarakhand. These include prominent trains such as the Lucknow–Dehradun Vande Bharat Express, the Dorai–Tanakpur Express, and the Haridwar–Firozpur Cantt Express. The Ministry of Railways clarified that the introduction of new train services is undertaken based on route capacity, availability of rolling stock, and other operational requirements. Overall, extensive work is being carried out for railway development in Uttarakhand—encompassing the construction of new rail lines, tunnels, and bridges, as well as station modernisation and the introduction of new train services—with the aim of providing improved rail connectivity to the state, particularly its hilly regions.
