Railway dreams deferred: Paonta Sahib’s quest for connectivity hits roadblock

Poor traffic projections continue to hinder rail connectivity to the industrial town of Paonta Sahib, despite repeated announcements by successive governments.

Suresh Kashyap, Member of Parliament, has been consistently advocating for the project with the Centre, stressing that Paonta Sahib — being a major pharmaceutical hub — would greatly benefit from a railway network for the transportation of raw materials and finished goods. However, the project has failed to move forward due to financial non-viability.

Two separate surveys were carried out: one between Jagadhri and Paonta Sahib (62 km) and another from Ghanoli to Dehradun via Kala Amb and Paonta Sahib (216 km). Both yielded negative Rate of Return (RoR) projections, making them unattractive for investment.

Responding in Parliament, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw clarified that projects are surveyed and executed by Zonal Railways rather than on a state or district basis and are prioritised based on factors such as profitability, last-mile connectivity, congestion relief, industrial access, socio-economic considerations and available funds.

The 216-km Ghanoli-Dehradun line, surveyed in 2011, had an estimated cost of Rs 3,746 crore but an RoR of -0.40 per cent, attributed to low projected traffic. Another survey in 2013-14 for a 112-km Pehowa-Paonta Sahib line via Jagadhri and Yamunanagar estimated a cost of Rs 1,954 crore with an RoR of -3.90 per cent. Both were deemed financially unviable.

Industry bodies have long demanded rail connectivity to Paonta Sahib to break the monopoly of local transport unions. Apart from being an industrial hub, the town is a key Sikh pilgrimage centre, home to a historic gurdwara dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru.

While work progresses on a railway line to Baddi — another major industrial town in Himachal — investors in Paonta Sahib continue to hope their demand will eventually be met.