Elevated rail track in Thanesar to ease traffic congestion

Nitish Sharma 

The Central Government has cleared the proposal of a six-km elevated railway track in Thanesar town of Kurukshetra. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 224.58 crore. While the Railways will contribute Rs 100 crore, the state government will spend the remaining amount. 

The track will eliminate five railway crossings at Main Bazaar, Jhansa Road, near Birla Mandir, near LNJP Hospital and near the third gate of Kurukshetra University in the town.

Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha has been taking keen interest in the project. He says, “It is a big project for us. The railway track has divided Thanesar in two parts. Commuters, especially schoolchildren, face inconvenience as all five gates are closed whenever a train passes through the Kurukshetra-Narwana section”.    

“Two railway over-bridges and an underpass have already been constructed near the old bus stand and the third gate of Kurukshetra University but still commuters have to wait at three railway crossings. We apprised Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of the issue and requested him for an elevated railway track,” he adds.

The Haryana Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation, a joint venture of the Union Ministry of Railways, and the state government had conducted a survey. Finally, the Chief Minister approved the project. In view of the proposed elevated track, the state authorities have suspended the tendering process for the construction of two railway over-bridges on the Kurukshetra-Narwana section.

Recently, newly elected Kurukshetra MP Nayab Singh Saini had also raised the matter during Zero Hour in Parliament. This elevated railway line will be the second one in the state. The work on a similar project on the Rohtak-Gohana-Panipat section was launched last year.