Railway expedites 498-km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line

In view of the heightened tension along the border with China, the Central Government has accelerated the process of building Bhanupali-Bilaspur-Kullu Manali-Leh railway line and the process of land acquisition and alignment survey is in full swing. The railway authorities asked the Mandi district administration to engage the workforce to complete the entire work quickly. The 498-km Bilaspur–Leh rail project had been expedited at an initial investment of ₹345 crore, and the line is a proposed high-elevation all-weather broad gauge track that would connect Bilaspur in HP, to Leh in Ladakh. It would either link to the Indian railways network via an extension of the Kangra valley, which would finally be converted to broad gauge, connecting Mandi and Bilaspur from Kalka. Mandi Deputy Commissioner Rugved Thakur informed that the land acquisition process for the project had been started in Bilapsur and Mandi districts and have reached the final stages. The Bilaspur–Leh line would be the highest railway track in the world, overtaking the current record of the Qinghai–Tibet railway line. Once this railway line is completed, Leh will directly be connected to HP and the rest of India. This would increase tourism potential in HP and Ladakh, and will also facilitate the quicker movement of troops and equipment in the time of crisis.