Will the long-pending Qadian-Beas railway line finally become a reality?

The project will connect Qadian in Gurdaspur district with Beas in Amritsar district and is expected to improve rail connectivity across the Majha region.

Bittu described the approval as a major milestone for the region and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and the Railway Board for moving forward with the long-pending project.

“I personally pursued this long-pending project and ensured that the Qadian-Beas line, which remained stuck for years, was defrozen and brought back into active consideration,” Bittu said, according to PTI.

Qadian-Beas rail project: Why was it delayed?

The railway line was initially approved during 1928-29, with construction making considerable progress before the project was discontinued in the early 1930s.

It was later revived under the Socially Desirable Rail Connectivity Programme and included in the Supplementary Railway Budget of 2010-11 as a socially desirable new-line project. At that time, the estimated cost was Rs 205 crore.

Despite the revival and inclusion in the Railway Budget, the project did not move ahead for more than a decade. Bittu said it remained stalled due to technical issues, alignment-related requirements, land acquisition and procedural hurdles.

This means the project remained in limbo for roughly 15 years after being included in the 2010-11 Railway Budget, before the Centre announced its formal revival in June 2026.

“During my tenure (as Union minister), I repeatedly took up the matter with the railway ministry and officials and pushed for the defreezing of the project so that this long-pending rail link could move towards implementation,” Bittu said, as per PTI.

In June 2026, the Centre formally announced the revival of the 39.68-km railway line at an estimated cost of around Rs 1,400 crore.

“The latest Railway Board sanction has placed the detailed estimate at Rs 1,400 crore,” Bittu said.

New rail link to connect key towns in Majha

The proposed line will pass through Qadian, Dhapai, Ghuman, Butala, Sathiala and Beas. The project is expected to bring several areas that currently have limited railway access into the broader rail network.

Bittu said the connectivity benefits would extend beyond the towns located directly along the proposed alignment.

“Gurdaspur and Batala will gain substantially from improved access to the railway network through the Qadian corridor, while Beas will provide an important connectivity point towards the wider railway network.

“This will make movement of people, agricultural produce, traders, students and pilgrims easier besides strengthening economic linkages between towns and villages of the Majha region,” Bittu said.

The project will include crossing stations at Ghuman and Butala, along with 11 major bridges and 121 minor bridges. It will also have 54 road under bridges, modern signalling and telecommunication infrastructure and Kavach technology.

Land acquisition emerges as next key step

With the project now moving forward, Bittu said land acquisition should be prioritised to ensure that construction does not face further administrative delays.

The project requires 166.682 hectares of land across Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts. Of this, 95.459 hectares is required in Gurdaspur and 71.223 hectares in Amritsar.

Bittu said the Punjab government should not delay the acquisition process on the grounds of inadequate funds, claiming that money has already been made available to the respective district administrations.

“Up to Rs 3,725 crore is lying with the respective deputy commissioners for land acquisition. When the funds are available, the land has been identified, and demarcation has already been carried out, there is absolutely no reason for files to remain pending in government offices,” he said.

“The Centre and the Railways have done their job. The issue is now one of administrative will and execution, rather than availability of funds,” Bittu added.

Bittu also urged Punjab’s chief secretary, the concerned deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates to speed up the land acquisition process and complete other state-level formalities.

Bittu flags delay in state-level clearances

The BJP leader also claimed that he had repeatedly written to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding land acquisition and other formalities for railway projects in the state.

“I have repeatedly written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann about all the ongoing railway projects and the need to expedite land acquisition and other state-level formalities, but I have received no response.

“My last letter was dated July 23, which specifically urged the state government to take immediate steps on land acquisition and related formalities. There has been no response so far,” Bittu said.