With a railway budget allocation of Rs 5,421 crore for 2025–26 and projects worth around Rs 25,000 crore underway, 2025 emerged as a decisive year for Punjab’s rail infrastructure. The Railways introduced three new train services from the state between June and November, expanded long-distance connectivity through extensions, announced the revival of rail links pending for decades, and pushed ahead with the redevelopment of 30 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat scheme at a cost of Rs 1,122 crore.Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu said, “Average annual investment from 2009–14 was Rs 225 crore. However, annual investment only in 2025–26 is Rs 5,421 crore, which is 24 times higher than during the previous Government.”While the announcements marked one of the biggest railway pushes Punjab has seen in recent years, most projects are still at execution stages, making timely completion the key challenge ahead.New trains introducedThree new trains services were started from Punjab in 2025, strengthening religious, regional, and high-speed connectivity. The Firozpur Cantt–Hazur Sahib Nanded Weekly Express commenced operations on June 13, departing from Firozpur every Friday and returning from Nanded on Sundays. Shortly thereafter, the Firozpur Cantt–Haridwar Weekly Express was introduced on June 18, with the train leaving Firozpur every Wednesday night and operating the return journey from Haridwar on Thursdays, catering largely to pilgrims.The most significant addition came later in the year with the inauguration of the Firozpur Cantonment–New Delhi Vande Bharat Express on November 8. Operating six days a week except on Wednesdays, the train became the first high-speed service for the Malwa region. The Vande Bharat has scheduled halts at Dhuri, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, and Patiala in Punjab before entering Ambala in Haryana. A stop at Barnala was added a week after the inauguration, following demands from local residents. The train covers a distance of 486 km in six hours and 40 minutes and is being seen as a major addition to Punjab’s railway network, particularly for the Malwa districts, which received their first high-speed train.In regional services, the Intercity Superfast Express, which earlier operated between Moga and New Delhi, has been extended to originate from Firozpur from November onwards. The extended service runs twice a week on Mondays and Fridays, improving direct rail connectivity between Firozpur and the national capital.Extensions and existing long-distance servicesApart from new trains, the Railways continued to strengthen connectivity by extending existing long-distance services from Firozpur. The Firozpur–Rameswaram Humsafar Express, inaugurated on October 2, 2018, was extended to start from Firozpur on October 3, 2023. The weekly service departs from Rameswaram on Saturdays and operates the return journey from Firozpur on Tuesdays.Story continues below this adSimilarly, the Tripura Sundari Express, introduced in July 2016, operates on a weekly basis between Firozpur and Agartala. The extension of this train to Firozpur was also carried out from 2023 onwards, providing Punjab with direct rail connectivity to the northeastern states.Amrit Bharat station redevelopmentStation redevelopment remained a key focus area during the year. Under the Amrit Bharat railway station scheme, redevelopment work is underway at 30 stations across Punjab, expanded from the initially announced 22 stations. Work at different stations began between February 2023 and November 2023, but no fixed deadlines have been announced for completion.Ludhiana Junction alone has been allocated Rs 465 crore, reflecting the city’s importance as one of the country’s major trade and industrial centres. Other stations with earmarked budgets include Patiala at Rs 47.5 crore, Jalandhar Cantt junction at Rs 99 crore, Dhuri at Rs 37.6 crore, Firozpur Cantt at Rs 27.6 crore, Sirhind (Fatehgarh Sahib) at Rs 25.1 crore, Kotkapura Junction at Rs 23.7 crore, Abohar at Rs 21.1 crore, Fazilka at Rs 19.5 crore, Pathankot city at Rs 21.3 crore, Gurdaspur at Rs 16.5 crore, Phillaur Junction at Rs 24.4 crore, Kapurthala at Rs 26.6 crore, Dhandari Kalan at Rs 17.6 crore, Mansa at Rs 26 crore, Mohali at Rs 23.2 crore, Anandpur Sahib at Rs 24.2 crore, Rupnagar (Ropar) at Rs 24 crore, Nangal Dam at Rs 23.3 crore, Sangrur at Rs 25.5 crore, Malerkotla at Rs 22.9 crore, and Muktsar at Rs 21.2 crore.Missing rail links and revived projectsSeveral long-pending rail projects saw movement in 2025. The Rajpura–Mohali rail line, pending for over 50 years, was announced in September by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State Bittu. The 18-km rail line will be constructed at a cost of Rs 443 crore and is expected to directly connect the Malwa region with Chandigarh. Railway authorities said the project would reduce the rail distance between Ludhiana and Chandigarh by nearly 66 km, ease traffic on the Rajpura–Ambala route, and improve connectivity for all 13 districts of the Malwa region.Story continues below this adAnother major announcement was the approval of the Firozpur–Patti rail line at a cost of Rs 764.19 crore. The proposed 25.72-km broad-gauge line will reduce the rail distance between Firozpur and Amritsar from 196 km to about 100 km and shorten the Jammu–Firozpur–Fazilka–Mumbai corridor by 236 km. The project is expected to enhance connectivity between Malwa and Majha regions and link Punjab’s border districts—Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Firozpur—with Gujarat ports, reducing logistics costs.The Railways also decided to revive the Qadian–Beas rail link, a project originally sanctioned in 1929 during British rule. Nearly one-third of the work had been completed by 1932 before it was shelved. The project was later included in the 2010 Railway Budget as a socially desirable project but was frozen again due to alignment, land acquisition, and financial issues. While the project cost stood at Rs 205 crore in 2010, revised estimates have crossed Rs 840 crore. In 2025, officials were directed to defreeze the project and resubmit detailed estimates for early sanction.Record investment and the road aheadHighlighting the scale of investment, Union minister Bittu said Punjab has witnessed the laying of 382 km of new railway tracks since 2014 and the electrification of 1,634 km, making the state 100 per cent electrified, and the construction of 409 railway flyovers and underbridges. With railway projects worth around Rs 25,000 crore underway, officials say the focus in the coming years will be on meeting deadlines and converting announcements into completed infrastructure on the ground.