Parliament Question: Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri Railway line

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1646 TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.07.2026 BHANUPALLI–BILASPUR–BERI RAILWAY LINE

1646. SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR:

MS KANGNA RANAUT:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

(a) the present status/progress of Bhanupalli–Bilaspur–Beri new broad- gauge line, including land acquisition, physical progress including tunnelling works, bridge construction, track laying and other major infrastructure components and expenditure incurred till date;

(b) the total number of tunnels, major and minor bridges, Road Overbridges

(ROBs), Road Underbridges (RUBs) and other structures planned and completed under the Bhanupalli– Bilaspur–Beri project so far and the details of the executing agency and EPC contractors engaged for various packages and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government of Himachal Pradesh has deposited its full committed share of project cost and if so, the details thereof including the total cost of the project fund allocated, the amount released so far, the balance outstanding and the manner in which this shortfall has affected execution of works and payments to contractors;

(d) whether there is any proposal ready to integrate and extend this line from Beri towards the Bilaspur–Manali–Leh strategic railway project and if so, the details thereof including the current status of survey/DPR, estimated cost and timelines;

(e) whether the implementation of the project has witnessed any delays due to geological challenges, environmental clearances, land acquisition issues or other administrative reasons and if so, the details thereof along with steps to resolve such challenges; and § Page 1 of 4(f) the revised timeline fixed for completion, trial operations and commissioning of the railway line for public use? ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f) : Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri (63km) New Rail Line project has been sanctioned on cost sharing basis with 25% share of State Government of Himachal Pradesh and 75 % share of Central Government. Further, full cost of land beyond Rs. 70 crore is to be borne by Government of Himachal Pradesh.

The project has been taken up in two stages:

1. Bhanupalli-Bilaspur (52 Km)

2. Bilaspur-Beri (11 Km)

Status of the project is as under:

Section Status 231 Ha out of 232 Ha land has been acquired. Work has been taken up on available land.

Forest clearance has been obtained

Progress of other works is as under:

Tunnels: 15 out of 16 completed Bhanupalli-Bilaspur (52Km)

Major Bridges: 10 out of 27 completed

Minor Bridges : 39 out of 49 completed

ROB: 06 out of 08 completed RUB/LHS: All 04 completed

Track Linking : 8 TKM out of 52 TKM completed Page 2 of 4Land is yet to be acquired by State Bilaspur-Beri (11 Km) Government of Himachal Pradesh Land beyond Bilaspur to Beri is yet to be handed over by Government of Himachal Pradesh. Non-availability of land is adversely affecting the project.

The total expenditure incurred on the project so far is Rs. 8,237 crore. As per cost sharing arrangements Rs. 2,910 crore was to be given by Government of Himachal Pradesh. However, they have deposited only Rs. 847 crore as a part of their share of cost. Thus, Rs. 2,063 crore is balance with State Government of Himachal Pradesh. Non deposition of their share of cost is adversely affecting the progress of project.

The progress of this project is affected due to non fulfillment of their commitments by State Govt.

The Government of India is geared up to execute projects, however success depends upon the support of Government of Himachal Pradesh.

Completion of Railway project/s depends on various factors which include

the following:  Land acquisition by State Government  Forest clearance  Shifting of infringing utilities  Statutory clearances from various authorities  Geological and topographical conditions of area  Law and order situation in the area of project site  Number of working months in a year for particular project site etc.

All these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project/s Page 3 of 4Bilaspur – Manali – Leh New line (489 km) Bilaspur – Manali – Leh new line is identified as strategic line by Ministry of Defence. The survey has been completed and Detailed Project Report has been prepared. The project passes through difficult terrain of Himalayas, which are full of geological surprises and numerous problems. The total length of the project is 489 Km including tunnels of 270 km length.

Anticipated cost of the project as per Detailed Project Report is ₹1,31,000 crore.

The alignment passes through Beri, Sundernagar, Mandi, Manali, Sissu, Darcha, Keylong, Sarchu, Pang, Rumtse, Upshi, Kharu and terminates at Leh Terminus, connecting important towns of Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

Sanctioning of project requires consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals viz., Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Defence etc. As sanctioning of projects is a continuous and dynamic process, exact timelines depend upon appraisals and approvals by various stakeholders.

***** Page 4 of 4