DEDICATES NEWLY DOUBLED MANSA-BATHINDA RAIL LINE
LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR 16 LIMITED HEIGHT SUBWAYS ON LUDHIANA-AMBALA, JALANDHAR-PATHANKOT, JALANDHAR-FIROZPUR, BEAS-GOINDWAL, BATHINDA BYPASS LINE & DHURI-BATHINDA LINE
DEDICATES TO THE NATION NEW STATION BUILDING AT BEAS, NEW RUNNING ROOM AT LUDHIANA, FOOD PLAZA AT FIROZPUR STATION AND
INAUGURATES 05 WATER VENDING MACHINES AT BATHINDA RAILWAY STATION
Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Minister for Railways laid the Foundation Stone for Rajpura-Bathinda Doubling Project, Dedicated Newly Doubled Mansa-Bathinda Rail Line, Laid the Foundation Stone for 16 Limited Height Subways on Ludhiana-Ambala, Jalandhar-Pathankot, Jalandhar-Firozpur, Beas-Goindwal, Bathinda Bypass Line & Dhuri-Bathinda Line, Dedicated to the Nation the New Station Building at Beas, New Running Room at Ludhiana, Food Plaza at Firozpur Station and Inaugurated 5 Water Vending Machines at Bathinda at a ceremony held at Bathinda today (13.11.2016). Revenue Minister, Punjab, Shri Bikram Singh Majithia, P.W.D. Minister, Govt. of Punjab, Shri Janmeja Singh Sekhon, Rural Development & Panchayat Minister, Shri Sikander Singh Maluka, Mayor, Bathinda, Shri Balwant Rai Nath, Honble Member of Legislative Assembly, Bathinda, Shri Sarup Chand Singla, M.L.A. Bhatinda Rural Shri Darshan Singh Kotfatta,M.L.A. Talwandi Sabo, Shri Jeet Mohinder Singh Sidhu and Ex. M.P. Smt. Paramajit Kaur Gulshan graced the occasion.
Northern Railways was represented by Shri A. K. Puthia, General Manager, Sh. P.K. Sanghi, CAO Construction, Shri Dinesh Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Ambala Division and Shri Anuj Prakash Divisional Railway Manager, Firozpur Division. Other Senior Railway officials were also present on the occasion.
Rajpura to Bathinda is part of Rajpura Bathinda - Sriganganagar section of Ambala Division. The Rajpura-Dhuri-Bathinda is a single line BG non electrified section. Completion of the Doubling work of this 172 km long section being built at an estimated cost of Rs. 1251.25 crores shall facilitate uninterrupted and smooth traffic operation as double line from Rajpura to Bathinda. A number of important cities and industrial towns Patiala & Bathinda, Fertilizer and thermal power plant, food grains loading points, educational hubs and military cantonments are located on the project section. There has been 6.42% per annum growth in the existing passenger traffic and the line capacity utilization has reached 130%. Therefore it was absolutely necessary to take up doubling of the Rajpura- Bathindasection.
Mansa-Bathinda doubling is sanctioned on Delhi-Bathinda route of 297 km length. Complete doubling shall improve the line capacity of the route for smooth movement of traffic as there are many loading points of food grains on this route and coal supply to thermal plants of Punjab & Rajasthan and the new thermal plant Talwandi Sabo Power Ltd (TSPL) near Saddasinghwala is mostly done via this route only.
To facilitate smooth rail traffic movement Sixteen Limited Height Subways have been sanction on different sections with an estimated Cost of Rs. 38.95 Crore. This will also help in easy and safe passage of road traffic across the railway lines.
Various passenger amenities at different stations of the route were also dedicated to the rail users of the area. A new station building at important religious center of Beas, a food plaza for the convenience of travelling passengers at Firozpur station and 05 water vending machines at various platforms of Bathinda station for dispensing of clean and chilled drinking water were inaugurated. A running room was also dedicated for the use of travelling train staff at Ludhiana on the occasion
Speaking on the occasion, the Honble Railway Minister stated that the Indian Railways would continue its efforts to extend greater connectivity in the State. This project is envisaged to provide the industry, the agriculturists, the armed forces and the rail users in general a seamless connectivity in to the hinterlands and border districts of Punjab state. The Railways have envisaged a modernized India through the various development projects and have constantly progressed towards that goal through new thrusts and initiatives.
