Bilaspur-Manali-Leh Rail Line: DPR Prepared For 489-Kilometer Mega Rail Project, Estimated To Cost Rs 1.31 Lakh Crore

in a massive infrastructure push to boost strategic connectivity in Northen India, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Parliament on Wednesday (12 March) that the Bilaspur–Manali–Leh rail link, which will also enhance connectivity to Kargil, will be Rs 1,31,000 crore, Financial Express reported.

The 489 kilometre railway line, which falls partially within the Union Territory of Ladakh, has been recognised as a strategic railway line by the Ministry of Defence.

“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,” Vaishnaw said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

The finalisation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is a major milestone in what is shaping up to be one of the toughest and most transformational infrastructure projects in the Himalayas.

Not only will the line improve civilian connectivity to remote regions of Lahaul-Spiti, Zanskar, and Leh, it will be a key logistical asset to the military and strategic mobility, particularly along India's sensitive northern borders.

Vaishnaw also addressed the previously proposed Srinagar–Kargil–Leh railway line, a 480-km-long project that was surveyed between 2016–17.

The estimate of that line was Rs 55,896 crore, but it was not taken up due to low traffic projections.

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