Nod to Rs 10-cr second loop line at Una station

UNA, DECEMBER 24

Northern Railways Advisory Committee member Sumit Sharma today said the Railways Board had given its nod to the second loop rail line at the Una railway station, which would enable the laying of track on the second platform, which was constructed recently.

He said the second loop line would be constructed at a cost of about Rs 10 crore which would include laying of the rail line and traction system, besides electrical, civil and mechanical works. He said with the increasing number of trains on the Una broad gauge line, the need for a second platform had arisen and Union Minister Anurag Thakur has taken up the issue with the Railways.

He said while the broad gauge line from Mehatpur to Daulatpur Chowk via Una was already functional, work on the remaining 5.5-km track in Himachal Pradesh beyond Daulatpur Chowk would be initiated soon. He said about 90 per cent of the land for the track beyond Daulatpur Chowk had been acquired. Further, Sharma said the track would be linked to the Jalandhar-Pathankot rail line at Mukerian in Punjab and the work of land acquisition would be undertaken by officials of that state. He said Anurag Thakur was already in touch with the Punjab Government and the Railways authorities. He said once complete, the track would provide connectivity between Delhi, Chandigarh, Una, Pathankot and Jalandhar, which will be of immense strategic value. — OC