Overview

• The Railways announced in-principle sanction for an 18 km Rajpura–Mohali line costing ₹443 crore, routed via Banur to provide a direct connection.
• The Punjab government must acquire about 54 hectares and hand it to the Centre before construction can begin.
• A Firozepur–Delhi Vande Bharat service was proposed to run six days a week with halts at Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri, Patiala, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Panipat, covering 486 km.
• Reported timings include a 7:55 am departure from Firozepur reaching Delhi at 2:35 pm, with a 4:00 pm return from Delhi arriving in Firozepur at 10:35 pm.
• Both initiatives await Cabinet clearance, and the minister said Vande Bharat Sleeper services will launch only after a second rake is ready, expected around October 15.