PM to inaugurate Chandigarh-Morinda rail link

Mohali, Sept 24: The much-delayed 44.35 km Chandigarh-Morinda railway line via Mohali and Kharar has finally become operational with the running of goods trains.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would inaugurate the track by pressing of signal system from a remote control device from Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana on September 27. Simultaneously, first passenger train would be flagged off from Chandigarh on the same day.

The distance between Chandigarh and Morinda would be covered in 50 minutes, with halts at Mohali and Kharar.

Goods trains have been rolling daily on this track for the past one week, Northern Railway Additional Divisional Railway Manager (ADRM) A K Gupta said here today. This link is part of the larger project to connect Chandigarh with Ludhiana.

''As part of track learning exercise, we are sending the drivers, guards and inspectors in the goods trains to see salient features like bridges, level crossings, curves and turns etc on the new track'', he said.

The ADRM said another aim behind running the goods trains a week ahead of formal opening of the track for railway traffic was to identify any problem on the track and rectify ii accordingly.

Initially, two passenger trains, Ambala Cantonment-Nangal Dam and Ambala Cantonment-Chararu Takrala, will be running on this non-electrified rail stretch, built at a cost of Rs 195 crore. The route will have seven major bridges, 98 minor bridges, three road-over-bridges, 18 road-under-bridges and 11 manned-level crossings.

The fare from Chandigarh to Mohali will be Rs five, upto Kharar it would be Rs seven and Rs 11 will be ticket from Chandigarh to Morinda.

UNI