New Delhi, Dec 17: The Union government on Wednesday said that the survey work for the proposed Bilaspur–Mandi–Manali–Leh railway line, a strategically important project for Ladakh, has been completed and prepared its Detailed Project Report (DPR).
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Railways said the Ministry of Defence has identified the project as a strategic railway line as the route will pass through extremely challenging Himalayan terrain and is expected to involve the construction of nearly 270 kilometres of tunnels.
The proposed railway line is estimated to cost around ₹1.31 lakh crore and will have a total length of 489 kilometres, informed the Ministry.
The government clarified that before the project can be sanctioned, it needs extensive consultations with multiple stakeholders, including the concerned Union Territory administrations, as well as approvals from key bodies like NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.
The Ministry of Railways further stated that railway projects are approved after considering several factors based on strategic importance, connectivity needs, socio-economic effects and the availability of financial resources and as such, a definite timeline for the project cannot be fixed at this stage—(KNO)
