Amritsar-Ferozepur rail link to boost industrial growth: Ex-MP

Former Member of Parliament and ex-state BJP president Shwet Malik on Saturday said the long-pending Amritsar-Ferozepur railway link project will act as a gateway to trade and industrial growth in the region.

Addressing a press conference here, Malik said land acquisition funds amounting to Rs 25 crore for the Zira SDM, Rs 31 crore for the Ferozepur SDM, and Rs 131 crore under the Bhikhiwind land acquisition authority in Tarn Taran district were released in December 2025 by the Central Government.

He added that construction of a railway bridge over the Sutlej, estimated to cost around Rs 400 crore, was also set to begin. He said the rail link would reduce travel time between Amritsar and Mumbai by nearly five hours and improve connectivity with Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra — benefiting traders, industrialists and the armed forces.

Malik said the project would also introduce new train services for Amritsar residents. He claimed that the Centre had allocated Rs 5,673 crore for railway projects in Punjab, including Rs 300 crore for passenger amenities at the Amritsar railway station.

Malik added that investments worth Rs 500 crore transformed the station into a world-class facility — with initiatives like new platforms, Vande Bharat train services to Delhi and Katra, bridge renovations, station modernisation at Verka and Chheharta, escalators, lifts, air-conditioned waiting halls, free Wi-Fi, upgraded parking and LED lighting. He claimed that, after becoming an MP, he had repeatedly raised the demand in Lok Sabha to revive the long-stalled rail link project. However, he alleged that failure to complete land acquisition by successive state governments stalled it.