# Bhanupli–Leh line

The Bhanupli–Leh line is an under-construction electrified railway track connecting Bhanupli, Punjab, to Leh, Ladakh. Once complete, the 489 km (304 mi) long, 1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in) wide gauge all-weather track is stipulated to reduce travel time from New Delhi to Leh to 10 hours. The railway is to pass through seismic zone IV and V at an elevation of 600 m (2,000 ft) to 5,360 m (17,590 ft) above sea level.
The line, with a total length of 489 km (304 mi), including the 13 km (8.1 mi) Leh-Sasherthang rail link, will cost ₹99,000 crore (~US$12.4 billion). This includes ₹62,000 crore (~US$7.75 billion) for 62 tunnels totaling 270 km (170 mi) in length, 114 major bridges, and 90 minor bridges.

## Significance and features

After the Jammu–Baramulla line, the Bhanupli–Leh line will be the most challenging railway project in Indian Railways due to high mountains, a large number of tunnels, high bridges, and severe cold weather. To cater to military logistics needs, the loop line will be constructed at five stations for the exclusive use of military loading and unloading at Karu, Sissu, Debring, Leh, and Sesharthang. The rail line will be extended 13 km (8.1 mi) from Leh to Sesharthang.

## Construction phases

The project requires the acquisition of 1,100 ha (11 km$^2$) of land, of which 26% is forest land, at a cost of ₹11,500 crore (~US$8.5 billion). 150 km (93 mi) of approach roads will be constructed. The construction phases are:
* Phase 0: Bhanupli to Barmana in Bilaspur, 63.1 km (39.2 mi) long link connecting Ladakh to Indian railway network at existing Bhanupli station of Ambala-Sirhind-Una rail line. As of February 2022, the expected completion date for this track is 2025. As of December 2024, state government has acquired only 79.57 hectares (63%) out of the total 124.02-hectare required and construction is underway on the acquired land on which ₹5,205 crore has been spent but the state govt is yet to pay its share of ₹1,351 crore to the railway, thus the state government is causing delays due to lack of land acquisition and non-payment of dues.
* Phase 1: Barmana to Mandi
* Phase 2: Mandi to Manali
* Phase 3: Manali to Upshi
* Phase 4: Upshi to Leh
* Phase 5: Leh to Sasherthang 13 km (8.1 mi) link, included in the project at the request of the Indian military, and Ministery of Defence had granted final approval in December 2024.

### Phase 0: Bhanupli to Barmana (Bilaspur), 63.1 km

The initial construction phase is focused on connecting the existing Bhanupli railway station in the Rupnagar district of Punjab to Barmana in the Bilaspur district of Himachal Pradesh. It has a total track length of 63.1 km (39.2 mi), 20 tunnels totaling 25 km (16 mi), 24 bridges totaling 6 km (3.7 mi), and 2 viaducts totaling 2 km (1.2 mi).
There are five main stations in this phase: one in Punjab, at Thural; and four in Himachal Pradesh, at Dharot, Jagatkhana, Bilaspur, and Barmana.
As of March 2025, The survey and DPR for Bilaspur - Manali- Leh line is ready as per the railway minister.

### Phase 1

As of May 2022, land acquisition for the phase 1 connecting Barmana and Mandi is underway.

## Details

According to the 2022 Detailed Project Report (DPR), project cost will exceed ₹1 lakh crore. Total 2200 hectares land, including 572 hectares (26%), will be acquired at the cost of ₹11,500 crore. Bridges and tunnels will cost ₹62,000 crore including the large escape tunnels for ensuring passenger safety during emergencies.

## Formerly planned further extensions

Originally, a couple of further extensions from Leh also were planned to be constructed at a later time. However, in 2023 these were officially declared to be "shelved due to low traffic projection". They comprised the following.
* 1. Leh-Srinagar rail line, 480 km (300 mi), a Rs 55,896 crore project.
** 1.1. Leh-Kargil rail line, 210 km (130 mi).
** 1.2. Kargil-Srinagar rail line, 225 km (140 mi).
* 2. Leh-Pathankot line, 664 km (413 mi), Rs 70,308 crore project.

## Status updates

* 2012 Mar: The Ministry of Railways sends the project to the Planning Commission for appraisal.
* 2016 Dec: The 498 km (309 mi) Bhanupli–Leh rail Final Location Survey (FLS) approved at a cost of ₹345 crore. The railway requests adequate land to set up a camp office in Ladakh and the required infrastructure from the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC).
* 2017 Jun: Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu lays the foundation stone to mark the beginning of FLS. FLS to be completed by October 2020.
* 2021 Dec: The Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Leh-Sasherthang rail link (for military logistics) is completed.
* 2022 Feb: Land acquisition begins in Bilaspur district for the (Barmana) Bilaspur to Mandi section of Phase-1.
* 2022 May: The completion date for Phase-0 is 2025. Seven tunnels of Phase-0a (Bhanupli to Dharot) are complete; track-laying work has begun. Funds for Phase-0b (Dharot to Bilaspur) were allocated, and construction began.
* 2023 Jul: "Bilaspur-Leh line" final survey and DPR completed, no target completion date for construction given. Other 2 rail routes to Leh, "Leh-Srinagar line" & "Leh-Pathankot line", were surveyed but abandoned due to low traffic projections and consequent financial non-viability.
* 2024 Dec: Completion date of 2027 set.
* 2025 Feb: Cement pillars are being laid on the entire Bilaspur-Leh route to mark the track.