Shimla: Delays by the Himachal Pradesh govt in depositing its Rs 2,264-crore share are slowing two key railway projects, the 28-km Chandigarh-Baddi line and the 63-km Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri line, railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has told the Rajya Sabha.In a written reply to a question by Congress MP Anurag Sharma, Vaishnaw said that as of April 1, 2026, three new railway line projects spanning 214 km and costing Rs 19,439 crore have been sanctioned fully or partly in the state. These include the 123-km Nangal Dam-Talwara line.The Rs 13,770-crore Bhanupalli-Bilaspur-Beri project is being executed under a 75:25 cost-sharing ratio between the Centre and the state govt, with Himachal also bearing land acquisition costs beyond Rs 70 crore. Of the Rs 2,910 crore due from the state, it has deposited only Rs 847 crore, leaving Rs 2,063 crore pending. Expenditure on the project has reached Rs 8,237 crore, the minister said.For the Rs 1,540-crore Chandigarh-Baddi rail line, funded equally by the Centre and the state, Himachal has paid Rs 348 crore against its Rs 549-crore share, leaving Rs 201 crore outstanding. Expenditure on the project stands at Rs 1,099 crore.Vaishnaw said the state’s failure to meet its financial commitments has affected progress on both projects, adding that timely implementation depends on support from the Himachal Pradesh govt.He said railway infrastructure allocation for Himachal has risen from an average of Rs 108 crore annually during 2009-14 to Rs 2,911 crore in 2026-27.The minister added that project completion also depends on factors such as land acquisition, forest and statutory clearances, utility shifting, geological conditions, law and order, and the limited working season in the hill state. He said the Centre has stepped up funding, delegated powers to field officials and is closely monitoring projects in coordination with state govts to speed up execution.
