Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi to halt at Sonipat, Karnal: Minister

New Delhi: Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi Express will now halt at Sonipat and Karnal stations, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu on Friday told Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and assured him that there would not be a single unmanned railway crossing in the state in two years' time.

According to an official statement here by the Haryana Government, Khattar met Prabhu here today.

Prabhu told Khattar that the Railways is working on the new concept of trains running on overhead bridges on the pattern of Metro and this possibility would be explored in Haryana to minimise requirement of land for railway projects.

Prabhu directed his officers to make recently launched Delhi-Chandigarh Shatabdi which makes a halt at Amabal to do so in Sonipat and Karnal also, the statement said.

In the meeting, Khattar demanded that the process of setting up of rail coach factory at Sonipat and electrification of Jind-Panipat, Narwana-Kaithal Kurukshetra and Rohtak-Gohana-Panipat railway lines be speeded up.

The Haryana CM said since a large stretch of Haryana falls in the National Capital Region area, extension of the rail network would pave the way for development of the state.

He also discussed the proposed rail projects including Yamunanagar-Chandigarh, Karnal-Yamunanagar, Delhi-Sohna- Firozpur Zhirka-Alwar, Hisar-Sirsa via Agroha, Fatehabad- Mansa-Bathinda with Prtabhu. The state government is ready to share half the cost of a number of these projects, he added.

Khattar sought an alternative to the shifting of railway line crossing from Rohtak town and demanded construction of railway overbridges, including in Gohana and Karnal.

"At the meeting, the Union Minister gave his consent for the construction of underpass in Charkhi Dadri and Tohana. On the issue of funds raised by Railway officers, the Union Minister said that he would bear half the cost of the Charkhi Dadri underpass from his MPLAD Fund," the statement said.

Khattar also demanded a railway halt in Koka-Kulana between Jhajjar and Macchrauli, and a railway phatak in Babra and also requested more facilities at Gurgaon and Panchkula railway stations, the statement added.