Centre asks for Uttarakhand govt's formal consent to start work on Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line

The Centre has asked the Uttarakhand government to give its formal consent to start work on the proposed Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line, indicating that the work on the project may start soon.

The state government will send an official letter to the Centre soon in response, according to an official release issued here said on Thursday.

The proposed Tanakpur-Bageshwar line is seen as a game-changer project in the direction of rail network expansion in Uttarakhand's Kumaon region.

The final survey of this project of about 170 km has been completed. In the next phase, the project is to be discussed with the state government.

Before starting the work, the Centre has asked the state for its formal consent.

Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has directed the chief secretary to take action in this regard by completing the formalities soon.

As the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag line -- the other major rail project in the state -- is likely to be completed by 2026, after the construction of the Tanakpur-Bageshwar line, rail connectivity can be established between the Garhwal and Kumaon regions of the state by connecting the two mountain cities of Karnaprayag and Bageshwar.

"All the formalities are being completed expeditiously to start work on the Bageshwar-Tanakpur rail line," Dhami said.

"Similarly, the final DPR (detailed project report) of the Rishikesh-Uttarkashi and Dehradun-Saharanpur railway lines is also being prepared. The Centre is providing full support in strengthening the rail network in Uttarakhand," he added.