The Punjab government and the central rail ministry have green‑lit a new 25‑kilometre rail line that will cut the distance between Ferozepur and Amritsar from nearly 200 kilometres to about 100 kilometres.
Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said the link runs close to the Pakistan border, making it “extremely important from a strategic point of view.” The line, which will shorten the Jammu‑Ferozepur‑Fazilka‑Mumbai corridor by 236 km, is expected to cost about ₹764 crore, with ₹166 crore earmarked for land acquisition that the railways will bear.
The project will tie together Punjab’s Malwa and Majha regions, giving a fast, direct route between the Jalandhar‑Ferozepur and Patti‑Khemkaran lines. It will help defence forces move equipment and supplies quickly, as the track passes through areas of strategic defence importance.
Beyond military benefits, the new rail link promises big economic gains. It will serve 2,500–3,500 passengers daily—students, workers, and patients from nearby villages—and will create roughly 250,000 jobs. The improved connectivity is set to boost trade, reduce freight costs, and open up agricultural markets. It also links Amritsar, a bustling commercial, educational and tourist hub that draws over a lakh visitors each day, with Ferozepur, thereby strengthening regional integration.
The alignment revives a historic route that was lost during the partition, cutting the Ferozepur‑Khemkaran stretch from 294 km to just 110 km. Bittu praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for what he called a “historic gift” to Punjab.
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