Highest Railway Line

What if you are travelling inside the train and get to explore the enchanting landscapes all around outside the window? Well, the day isn’t far away as the Indian Railways is currently working on a project that will connect the railways with the Ladhakh region through the World’s highest railway line that will run along the India-China border. The railway line that is being built is the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line. After completion it is going to surpass the China’s Qinghai-Tibet Railway which is currently the world’s highest rail line with maximum elevation of 16,627 feet.

The four strategic railway lines are being constructed to fortify India’s borders from China. Apart from the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line(498 km), the other three railway routes are Missamari-Tenga-Tawang (378 km), North Lakhimpur-Bame (Along)-Silapathar (249 km) and Pasighat-Tezu-Parsuram Kund-Rupai (227 km).

According to a PTI report, the location survey of the first phase is complete. This broad-gauge line by the Indian Railways will pass through challenging terrains and zones. Recently, officials were quoted saying that Indian Railways has proposed the railway line to be declared a national project, as once completed, the line will help armed forces, boost tourism and will also lead to the development of the region. In June 2017, foundation stone was laid for final location survey by Former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu.

Here are some of the interesting facts about the Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line:

1. The railway line will connect Mandi, Kullu, Manali, Keylong and other important towns of Jammu & Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. This railroad to Leh will also connect to the Kangra Valley Railway in Mandi.

2. The Leh railway will pass through the Shivalik, Himalayan and Zanskar Ranges, with an altitude ranging from 600m to 5,300m. The rail line will also pass through sensitive seismic zones, necessitating construction of several tunnels, deep viaducts and bridges.

3. According to the survey report, cost of construction of this 498 km long all-weather broad-gauge railway line has been calculated at Rs 83,360 Crore and the entire stretch of this project once completed, will cover 498 km in total.



4. It is being said that the rail line is the most difficult project undertaken by the Indian Railways and one of the most significant projects in terms of strategic importance. Indian Railways in coalition with RITES (railway PSU) and Defense Ministry will complete the project soon.

5. The project will have the highest point of 5360 metres above mean sea level. Therefore, it is comparable only to the Qinghai-Tibet rail line in China.



6. As per the first phase of the survey, the rail line project will include 74 tunnels, 124 major bridges and 396 minor bridges.

7. Once the work on this line is finished, it will reduce the distance between Delhi to Leh significantly, from the present 40 hours to 20 hours.

8. The Keylong station, in the project, will be inside the tunnel according to the first phase of the location survey. This will be the first under station of Indian Railways network to be built under a tunnel.



9. More than half of the train route would be covered through tunnels, the longest of which would be 27 km long. Total length of the tunnels would be 244 km.

10. At 17,583ft, the Taglang La station on the line is expected to become the highest railway station in the world. Currently Tanggula Railway Station at 16,686ft in China holds the record.

No doubt, the construction of this rail will be a grand success for the Indian Railways. The trains through this rail line are expected to traverse through the mountains and gorges. The tracks will take the enthusiastic travellers all the way through the terrains and let them witness the breath-taking views of the Ladakh. Let’s hope this project gets completed soon. To know status of your booked ticket, click on PNR Status.