Railways sanctions Ferozepur-Patti rail link project in Punjab, says MoS Bittu

Chandigarh, Nov 12 (PTI) The Ministry of Railways has sanctioned the 25.72 km Ferozepur-Patti rail link project connecting Punjab's Malwa and Majha regions with an outlay of Rs 764 crore, Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu said on Wednesday.

Addressing the media here, Bittu, minister of state for railways, said the project passed on October 27 will enhance regional mobility and logistics efficiency.

The project will reduce the distance between Ferozepur and Amritsar from 196 km to about 100 km, and shorten the Jammu-Ferozepur-Fazilka-Mumbai corridor by 236 km, Bittu said.

The new alignment will also revive a historic route lost during partition, reducing the Ferozepur-Khemkaran distance from 294 km to 110 km. The project will also provide a faster route from Amritsar to the seaports of Gujarat via Rajasthan.

Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for the project, Bittu said the new rail line will connect the Jalandhar-Ferozepur and Patti-Khemkaran routes, providing a direct and alternative connection close to the international border.

Passing through areas having strategic defence significance, it will also facilitate rapid movement of defence personnel, equipment and supplies, he said.

The project also promises significant socio-economic gains, benefiting nearly 10 lakh people and creating approximately 2.5 lakh employment opportunities, he said, adding that the project will serve about 2,500-3,500 commuters, particularly students, employees and patients from nearby villages.

"The rail link will spur trade and industrial growth, reduce freight transportation costs, and improve access to agricultural markets, thereby boosting investment in education, healthcare and essential infrastructure," Bittu said.

It will also link Amritsar, a prime commercial, educational, and religious hub attracting over one lakh tourists daily, with Ferozepur, he said.

Bittu said that the project's total cost of Rs 764 crore involves Rs 166 crore towards land acquisition.

"We will bear the land acquisition cost for the project," Bittu said.

Bittu even showed letters from former chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Amarinder Singh for this rail project, but claimed that nothing was done to implement the same.

"When I became the minister, we requested the PM that Punjab needs this project," Bittu said.

The Railways wrote to the Punjab Chief Secretary on October 28, to depute the concerned offices for the land acquisition to set up the rail link project.

However, no response has been received from the chief secretary, Bittu alleged. This is the situation in Punjab, he said while targeting the AAP government.

According to the project requirement, the total land to be acquired for the project is 165.69 hectares. It includes 70.01 hectares in Ferozepur and 85.58 hectares in Tarn Taran district.

According to the presentation, the 25.72 km rail track will have an 820-metre-long bridge over the Sutlej River.

According to a presentation by Bittu, the rail line project was sanctioned for Rs 299.74 crore in March 2017, with the Punjab government's commitment to provide land free of cost for the project.

However, there was no progress on the project as the state government did not disburse compensation for land despite a notification for the award of land being issued in 2023.

Looking into the importance of the project, the railways decided to fund the acquisition of land and revised the project estimate to Rs 764 crore.

Rail projects worth more than Rs 2,000 crore are underway in Punjab, Bittu further said. PTI CHS SHS SHS