Rajpura-Mohali rail link likely in 18 months: Patiala MP Dharamvira Gandhi

A day after Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries Ravneet Singh Bittu announced that the Ministry of Railways had approved the construction of the Rajpura bypass line and sanctioned Rs 411.96 crore to decongest the critical corridor, Congress MP from Patiala Dharamvira Gandhi said the 18.11-km Rajpura-Mohali new line project was likely to be completed within nearly18 months.

Calling the strategic bypass a major boost for Punjab’s economy, Gandhi said the direct rail connectivity between Patiala and Chandigarh would significantly improve trade and industrial activity in the region.

The 18-km Rajpura-Mohali new line project had recently been approved at a cost of Rs 443 crore and the land acquisition process was currently on. It has been declared a Special Railway Project under the Gazette Notification (Amendment) Act, 2008, for the acquisition of 53.84 hectares in Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and SAS Nagar districts. The notification was published on October 24.

Patiala MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi

“The bypass and the new rail connectivity between Chandigarh and Patiala will revolutionise the industry and trade sector of Patiala. This bypass will act as a crucial trade-route shortcut, as it will reduce the freight travel distance to ports in Gujarat by over 125 km,” Gandhi said.

Bittu said the sanctioned work includes the construction of a 13.46-km bypass line connecting the New Shambhu Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) station with Kauli station on the existing Rajpura–Bathinda line. He added that the strategic link is part of the ‘Umbrella Work 2025–26’ for new rail line projects of the Railways.

City residents, including industrialists, doctors and other professionals, have welcomed the government’s move to strengthen rail infrastructure in the region.

An estimated 70,000 commuters travel daily between Patiala and Chandigarh in the absence of adequate train connectivity, often resulting in heavy traffic congestion and disruption to trade. The new rail line is expected to significantly reduce the travel distance between the Malwa region and Chandigarh by 66 km, as commuters from Patiala currently depend on the congested Zirakpur–Banur highway — a 70-km stretch frequently choked with traffic.

Initially approved in 2017, the project was delayed due to administrative hurdles. Its revival has now sparked optimism among residents and industrialists in the Malwa belt. The Northern Railway has included the project in its list of new line works for 2025–26.

Bittu added that the rail link would connect all 13 districts of the Malwa region with Chandigarh, reduce the load on the Rajpura-Ambala route and minimise land acquisition from farmers.

He said the project would boost industrial and agricultural growth, enhance freight movement, reduce logistics costs for major industries such as the Rajpura Thermal Power Plant, and promote religious and heritage tourism to sites, including Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, the shrine of Shaikh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi, Haveli Todar Mal and the Sanghol Museum.