Centre orders revival of stalled Qadian-Beas rail project after decades of delay
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, December 6, 2025: The Indian Railways have officially decided to restart work on the long-stalled 40 km Qadian–Beas rail line after Minister of State Ravneet Bittu directed officials to “defreeze” the project. The line had remained in the ‘freeze’ category for years due to alignment constraints, land acquisition issues, and local political roadblocks.
Explaining the revival, Bittu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw have made it clear that funding will not be a hurdle for Punjab’s railway development.
He added that his focus remains on initiating new projects, completing pending ones, and reviving those abandoned due to unforeseen challenges.
“Mohali–Rajpura, Ferozepur–Patti and now Qadian–Beas — I knew how crucial this line is. I instructed officials to remove all obstacles and restart construction. This track will give a major boost to the struggling industrial units of Batala, the region’s steel town,” he said.
A letter from the Chief Administrative Officer (Construction), Northern Railway, states that the Railway Board has sought immediate ‘defreezing’ of the project and re-submission of the detailed estimate for early sanction so construction can begin.
The Qadian–Beas rail line traces its origins to 1929, when it was approved by the British and taken up by the North-Western Railway.
By 1932, one-third of the work had been completed before the project was abruptly dropped. It resurfaced in the 2010 Railway Budget under the ‘socially desirable projects’ category, which focuses on inclusive transport access regardless of profitability. However, financial concerns raised by the Planning Commission once again stalled progress.