With visions of it becoming India’s retort to China’s recently-built 1,147-km Beijing-Lhasa railway track, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal is leaving no stone unturned to see that the ambitious Manali-Leh rail link project gets off the ground as soon as possible.

The strategic undertaking, first mooted by Dhumal, has become one of his pet projects ever since the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) gave its in-principle approval for a pre-feasibility study. Dhumal had emphasised the urgency of taking up the project, by asking both the PM and the President to keep China’s close proximity in mind. He had argued that allowances should be made for its considerable cost as well as the ‘viability factor’ since it would boost not only the country’s security but would also be a boon for the tourism industry in the state.

Since then, Himachal Pradesh has been periodically following up the proposal, especially after a private infrastructure company showed interest in taking up the project on Public-Private Partnership mode. Himachal has given a no-objection certificate (NOC) to Trans-Himalayan Railway Private Ltd — a subsidiary of Delhi-based engineering company ICC Holdings — to conduct a pre-feasibility survey .

The Ministry of Railway has also shown some interest in the project. An eight-member team of the Indian Railway Transport Service (IRTS) has visited Himachal Pradesh, including Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti district ,for a ground study. Led by Chief Commercial Manager Buta Singh, the team assessed the feasibility of establishing a rail service across the snowy mountain passes, including Tanglang La (5,360 m), Lachalang La (5,065 m), Baralacha La (4,892 m) and Rohtang La (3,890 m). If the railway line is built along the route, it could serve as a vital link for movement of defence supplies to Leh-Ladakh and Kargil and will cater to special and strategic needs of the Armed Forces. It could also boost local economy and help immensely in promotion of tourism in this part of the country.

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