The Centre has initiated the acquisition of about 8.5 hectares in Haryana’s Panipat district for the 198-km Delhi-Ambala third and fourth railway lines. The Rs. 59.83 bn project is intended to decongest one of India’s busiest rail routes and forms part of plans to quadruple the Delhi-Jammu corridor.

The notification was issued under Section 20A(1) of the Railways Act, 1989, by the construction organisation of the Ministry of Railways. Dated 29 September, it was published in the Gazette of India on 1 October and marks the beginning of the statutory land acquisition process.

The acquisition covers 6.1 hectares across seven villages in Samalkha tehsil and 2.3 hectares across six villages in Panipat tehsil. Khasra-wise details for the affected land have been included in the notification. Landowners and other interested persons have 30 days from its publication to raise objections to the acquisition and proposed use of the land.

Objections must be submitted in writing to the district revenue officer of Panipat. The officer will hear affected persons either directly or through a lawyer, and the order issued after considering the objections will be final. The project, approved by the Union Cabinet in February, is scheduled for completion within four years.

The expanded route will pass through Sonipat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Ambala, as well as Central, North West and North Delhi. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the lines would improve connectivity across Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and northern India, while supporting the movement of Vande Bharat and other passenger trains. The project is expected to add about 24 mn tonnes of annual freight capacity, reduce logistics costs by Rs. 9.52 bn, generate 13,200,000 human-days of employment and cut carbon emissions by 430 mn kg.