The Elusive Mohali–Rajpura Railway Link via Banur may now be a Reality
The approved alignment connects Mohali to Rajpura via Banur and Shambhu, linking the route with the Grand Trunk (GT) double-line corridor between Amritsar and Delhi.
About the Author
Karan Bir Singh Sidhu is a retired IAS officer of the Punjab cadre and former Special Chief Secretary to the Government of Punjab. He grew up in Patiala, where he also received his school and college education, giving him a deep personal and professional understanding of the region’s developmental needs. Sidhu writes regularly on political affairs, infrastructure policy, and governance issues, with a focus on Punjab’s socio-economic trajectory.
Central Government's Railway Budget Allocation: A Game Changer for Malwa?
The Central Government's recent allocation of ₹202.99 crore for the Mohali–Rajpura railway link has brought long-awaited relief to residents of Punjab’s Malwa region. After years of false starts and bureaucratic hurdles, Northern Railway has finally included the 38.88-kilometre line—via Banur and Shambhu—in its “pink book” for the 2025–26 fiscal year, with budgetary provision for land acquisition and construction.
But as the people welcome this long-overdue breakthrough, it is only fitting that scrutiny is also turned on those who had every opportunity—and the political authority—to make it happen earlier, yet failed to act.
Years of Delay and Political Apathy
The Mohali–Rajpura rail link was first approved in principle in 2017, with a detailed project report (DPR) prepared the year before. Its original estimated cost was approximately ₹312.53 crore. However, the project was repeatedly stalled due to funding disputes. The Railway Ministry, citing projected low traffic volumes, had asked the Punjab government to either share costs or acquire the necessary land free of charge. In 2018, the Centre even requested that 42 acres—valued at ₹78 crore—be acquired by the state. The Punjab Government, under Captain Amarinder Singh, failed to act. With neither side stepping up, the project slipped into cold storage.
It took the sustained personal intervention of Ravneet Singh Bittu, now serving as Minister of State for Railways, who engaged in multiple rounds of discussions with senior railway officials and Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, to finally move the project forward. Equally instrumental were the persistent efforts of Dr Dharamvira Gandhi, who, as a first-time AAP MP from Patiala, and now re-elected in 2024 on a Congress ticket, kept the issue alive through consistent advocacy and public mobilisation. It was their combined resolve and political will that culminated in the long-overdue inclusion of the Mohali–Rajpura rail link in the 2025–26 Union Railway Budget.
Missed Opportunities by Powerful Patrons
When Pawan Kumar Bansal, then a Congress MP from Chandigarh and a native of Tapa in Barnala district, held the powerful portfolio of Union Railways Minister in the Manmohan Singh Cabinet, expectations were high. His elevation was seen as a chance for Punjab—particularly the Malwa region—to receive long-pending railway infrastructure. Yet during his tenure, there was no meaningful movement on the Mohali–Rajpura link. Surveys were shelved, feasibility studies went cold, and the project quietly slipped off the agenda. That a son of Malwa, in such a strategic position, chose bureaucratic passivity over regional advancement, is a matter of deep disappointment, though the major beneficiary would also have been Chandigarh, the very constituency that sent him to Lok Sabha more than once..
Even more disillusioning was the role of Captain Amarinder Singh, who served twice as Chief Minister of Punjab and long represented Patiala, a district that stood to gain directly from the link. Despite wielding significant clout both in Punjab and Delhi, Captain Amarinder Singh failed to prioritise the project. While he often projected himself as a statesman above parochial concerns, here was a case where strategic infrastructure for his own district and birth place was neglected—not once, but repeatedly.
The Curious Case of Preneet Kaur
After the project’s inclusion in the railway budget was announced, Maharani Preneet Kaur, former MP from Patiala and wife of Captain Amarinder Singh, was among the first to tweet her appreciation. Now politically marginalised—after losing the last Lok Sabha election and recently switching to the BJP—her message was notable not for what it said, but for what it deliberately omitted: no mention of Ravneet Singh Bittu, the Union Minister of State for Railways, whose tireless efforts were instrumental in bringing the project to fruition.
Observers have rightly criticised this selective gratitude. It reflects the dynastic tendency to withhold credit from political outsiders—even when they accomplish what entrenched powerholders could not. The irony is especially striking when one considers that Preneet Kaur represented Patiala for three full terms in the Lok Sabha, and also served as Minister of State for External Affairs under Dr Manmohan Singh. Throughout her tenure, and even as her husband governed Punjab, no serious effort was made to lobby for this missing rail link. This legacy of inertia cannot be obscured by belated expressions of appreciation.
Why via Shambhu from Banur, and Not Direct to Rajpura?
This question has also been raised by observers and local stakeholders.
The approved alignment connects Mohali to Rajpura via Banur and Shambhu, linking the route with the Grand Trunk (GT) double-line corridor between Amritsar and Delhi. According to railway authorities, this alignment not only improves regional connectivity but also serves a broader strategic objective: to decongest the heavily trafficked Ambala–Ludhiana section. Shambhu is now set to emerge as a key junction point in this realignment.
Furthermore, the link has future-oriented significance. It immediately integrates with the already operational Mohali–New Morinda section, with potential to eventually feed into the proposed Nangal Dam–Talwara broad-gauge extension. This would bolster both passenger and freight movement and enhance strategic defence logistics across northern Punjab and Himachal Pradesh as well as Jammu and Kashmir.
What the Region Gains
Regardless of alignment, the link promises wide-reaching benefits:
It will significantly reduce travel distance—by nearly 55 kilometres—between Rajpura and Chandigarh, eliminating the current unnecessary detour via Ambala, itself a congested junction.
It enhances connectivity for cities like Patiala, Nabha, Dhuri, Barnala, and Bathinda, many of which have suffered from long travel times to the state capital of Chandigarh.
The rail corridor aligns with the Centre’s larger infrastructure plan, under which Punjab has received ₹5,421 crore in the Union Budget 2025–26 for rail development—a 24-fold increase over the average annual allocation during 2009–14.
Who Deserves the Credit?
The revival of the Mohali–Rajpura project owes little to past incumbents and everything to the persistence of present actors. Dr Dharmvira Gandhi, the sitting Congress MP from Patiala, long called it his “dream project”. But it is Ravneet Singh Bittu, as Minister of State for Railways, who has emerged as the real enabler—working behind the scenes, overcoming bureaucratic hurdles, and delivering where others faltered.
In contrast, those with far more time, power, and opportunity—Pawan Kumar Bansal, Captain Amarinder Singh, and Preneet Kaur—now appear as mere bystanders in a project they could have owned. Their failure to act underscores how political capital, when hoarded rather than spent, becomes a liability rather than an asset.
Conclusion: A Welcome Link, A Stark Reminder
The Mohali–Rajpura railway link is no longer just an aspiration—it is now a budgeted, actionable project. But its story is also a case study in missed chances, apathy at the top, and the slow decay of accountability in Indian politics.
Punjab’s voters, especially in Malwa, should not be swayed by last-minute tweets or belated endorsements. They must remember who acted—and who abdicated. The people deserved this rail link years ago. That they are only receiving it now is no cause for celebration for those who held power in the past.
This is a victory—but one won despite them, not because of them.
Sir, are you sure its via Banur and Shambhu?Banur to Shambhu shortest distance will be atlest 20 km and Banur to nearest line is Saneta, around 12 km. So link will be around 32 km. It hardly makes any sense when Rajpura to Saneta is hardly 20 km (crow fly). As per Dainik Bhaskar, link wil be via Nalas and Saneta.
Would have liked if you had highlighted the persistence efforts of Dr Dharamvira Gandhi (MP Patiala) who was the first to get the project approved through his tireless advocacy . It was due to his efforts that the project was first included in the railways Pink book in 2017 -18, but you have simply brushed aside his contribution only as a “dream” .