Centre’s nod to Rs 412-crore Rajpura Bypass Line to ease Northern Railway congestion

The government today sanctioned Rs 411.96 crore for Rajpura Bypass Line to decongest the critical northern railway corridor. Union Minister of State for Railways and Food Processing Industries, Ravneet Bittu, said that the Ministry of Railways has officially approved the construction of the bypass line, a critical infrastructure project designed to alleviate congestion on one of Northern Railway’s busiest sections.

Bittu said the project has received the endorsement of the Railway Board. He added that the sanctioned work involves the construction of a 13.46 km bypass line connecting the New Shambhu Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) station with the Kauli station on the existing Rajpura-Bathinda line. This strategic link is part of “Umbrella Work 2025-26” for new rail line works across Indian Railways.

“The primary objective of this project is to decongest Rajpura Yard, which is currently operating at saturated capacity,” Bittu said. The minister added that the Ambala-Jalandhar section is one of the busiest corridors on the Northern Railway network.

“Without intervention, line capacity utilisation in the area is projected to exceed 165 per cent by 2030-31 due to anticipated traffic increase. The new line will provide direct access for trains, allowing them to bypass the congested Rajpura Yard. The bypass will facilitate smoother movement of freight and passenger traffic by avoiding the bottleneck at Rajpura Yard. The direct connectivity to Dedicated Freight Corridor at New Shambhu will enhance freight logistics and speed,” he said, listing the benefits.

This sanction marks a significant step toward modernising rail infrastructure in the region, ensuring that capacity keeps pace with the nation’s growing transportation needs.