LUDHIANA: Nearly a decade after work began on the 110-km rail link between the industrial hub of Ludhiana and capital city Chandigarh, the project is near completion and officials are hopeful that trains would start running on the track by June. Happy with the authorities’ assurance, residents say they’re keeping their fingers crossed.
‘‘If all goes as planned, then the Chandigarh-Ludhiana railway link will become operational by June. Seeing the passenger and goods traffic on this track, the route is likely to prove very important for the railways,’’ said divisional railway manager of Ferozepur Bishwesh Chaubey.
‘‘We started work in 1999-2000 and by the end of 2006, 45-km stretch till Morinda was ready. However, many problems surfaced regarding land acquisition and other operational hiccups, delaying the project,’’ he added. The officer expressed hope that the much-hyped train service would begin soon.
The 110-km project is divided into three phases — Chandigarh-Morinda link, Morinda-Sahnewal stretch and Sahnewal-Ludhiana portion. ‘‘Work on a part of the third phase is left and we hope to finish it by May,’’ Chaubey told TOI. Applauding the move, Manasi Kashyap, a resident of Chandigarh who works in the city, said, ‘‘Though the journey to Chandigarh should only take two hours, we usually get stuck for at least one hour at Samrala itself. This delays everything due to which the bus takes nearly three hours to reach home. Train service will definitely be very popular among commuters.’’
Jagan Pratap Singh, another commuter, said, ‘‘Moreover, it will be economical. The railways must also schedule trains before and after office hours.’’
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