Chandigarh, August 16, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The sanction of a ₹1,419.05-crore Detailed Estimate for the 39.68-km Qadian–Beas New Broad Gauge Railway Line marks a major milestone for Punjab’s Majha region, BJP leader and former Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said on Sunday.
Bittu welcomed the Railway Board’s sanction and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Railway Board for reviving the long-pending project. The Centre had announced the revival of the Qadian–Beas rail link in June at an estimated cost of around ₹1,400 crore.
“I personally pursued this long-pending project and ensured that the Qadian–Beas line, which had remained stuck for years, was defrozen and brought back into active consideration,” Bittu said.
The project was originally approved in 1928–29, with construction progressing substantially before work was discontinued in the early 1930s. It was later revived under the Socially Desirable Rail Connectivity Programme and included in the 2010–11 Supplementary Railway Budget. The project was sanctioned in 2011–12 at an estimated cost of about ₹205 crore but remained in abeyance for years.
The proposed broad-gauge corridor will connect Qadian in Gurdaspur district with Beas in Amritsar district, passing through Dhapai, Ghuman, Butala and Sathiala. The project envisages two crossing stations, 11 major bridges, 121 minor bridges, 54 Road Under Bridges, modern signalling and telecommunication systems and Kavach technology.
Bittu said the line would improve connectivity for Qadian, Gurdaspur, Batala and surrounding areas, while facilitating the movement of passengers, agricultural produce, traders, students and pilgrims. It is also expected to strengthen economic activity and religious tourism across the Majha region.
Bittu seeks faster Land Acquisition
Bittu said the immediate priority should be completing land acquisition. According to the project details cited by him, 166.682 hectares are required in Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts — 95.459 hectares in Gurdaspur and 71.223 hectares in Amritsar.
He claimed that up to ₹3,725 crore was already lying with the respective Deputy Commissioners for land acquisition and questioned why the process was still moving slowly.
“The money is already available. When the funds are available and the land has already been demarcated, what is stopping the Punjab Government from completing the acquisition process?” Bittu asked.
He urged the Punjab Chief Secretary, concerned Deputy Commissioners and SDMs to personally monitor the process and remove administrative bottlenecks.
“The Centre has moved forward. The Railways have moved forward. The funds are available. The land has been identified. Now Punjab has to move forward. There is no excuse left for further delay,” he said.
Bittu also claimed that he had written several times to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding railway projects and state-level formalities, with his latest letter dated July 23, but had received no response.
Strategic and Tourism Significance
Bittu said the Qadian–Beas line would serve purposes beyond passenger connectivity, including providing an alternative rail corridor to the Amritsar–Pathankot section during emergencies. The project is also expected to improve market access for farmers, facilitate movement of agricultural produce, promote trade and generate employment.
He particularly highlighted Qadian’s historical and international significance as the birthplace of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community and said improved rail connectivity would make the town more accessible to visitors and pilgrims.
The line is also expected to improve access to religious and heritage destinations in the wider region, including Beas, Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdwara Achal Sahib and Gurdwara Bhagat Namdev Ji at Ghuman.
“The sanction of ₹1,419.05 crore is a historic step towards fulfilling a nearly century-old promise to the people of this region. The people have waited long enough. Now the land acquisition must move at the speed this project deserves,” Bittu said.
The Railway Ministry had earlier stated that the revived project would connect several underserved parts of the Majha region and strengthen regional mobility
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