Shimla, February 26
While Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has announced survey of three new rail tracks in the state, the rail budget has not enthused the people as there is no concrete proposal for starting work on any new project.

Of the three new lines included for survey the one linking Amb and Kangra via Nadaun is the most important as it will provide broad-gauge rail connectivity to the largest district of the state along with Hamirpur district. The Dharamshala-Palampur link will connect the two most important towns of Kangra. But there is confusion about the Baddi and Bilaspur link as neither of the town is connected by rail. Further, work of land acquisition for Bhanupali-Bilaspur link is already on.

Bansal has also assured to pursue the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committees for taking up the proposed Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail track as a project of national importance. He has also included Shimla among the 25 centres where skill development programme will be started by the Railways.

A new weekly express train from Una or Nangaldam to Hazoor Sahib Nanded via Anandpur Sahib, Morinda, Chandigarh, Ambala has also been announced. Besides, the bi-weekly express train between Kalka-Sai Nagar Shirdi will also benefit the people of the state, particularly Shimla, Solan, Sirmour and Kinnaur districts.

There were expectations that the minister will give nod for starting work on some new projects, particularly for to linking the industrial township of Baddi for which a number of surveys have been conducted but that did not happen.