Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday that the projected cost of the upcoming Bilaspur-Manali-Leh railway line, which will also enhance connectivity to Kargil, is estimated at Rs 1,31,000 crore.

Strategic railway line for Ladakh
In a written reply to a query in the Lok Sabha regarding the government’s plans for connecting Ganderbal in Kashmir with Kargil, Vaishnaw stated that a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line has been finalised.

“The Bilaspur-Manali-Leh New Line, partly falling within the Union Territory of Ladakh, has been identified as a strategic line by the Ministry of Defence. The survey for the 489-kilometer project has been completed, and the Detailed Project Report has been prepared,” he said.

Vaishnaw also addressed the earlier proposed Srinagar-Kargil-Leh railway project, which spanned 480 kilometers. The survey for this project was conducted in 2016-17, with an anticipated cost of Rs 55,896 crore. However, the project was not pursued due to low traffic projections.

This new development marks a significant move toward improving strategic connectivity in the region, particularly in areas of defense importance.