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.

Currently, Trans-Himalayan Railway Private Ltd is working on extending the existing Pathankot-Jogindernagar railway line to Manali, Keylong, Pang and finally Leh. “The proposal for the 460-km rail line, which will cover elevations between 1,000 and over 5,000 metres, will have on-surface tracks as well as over 200 tunnels going up to 215 km. Currently, the estimated cost is around Rs 53,500 crore and the project is expected to take 96 months to complete,” says Rakesh Saran Mathur, CEO of the company.

Nonetheless, it is somewhat surprising that a private company is willing to take up a project that has a high risk of being economically unviable. Mathur, however, confirms that the mineral potential in the cold deserts of Lahaul-Spiti, apart from tourism and other developmental and industrial projects, could make the undertaking well worth the risks involved.

“The project can be viable once the railway line is laid and companies that will be made partners take up mineral exploration works in Lahaul-Spiti. Hydel projects coming up in the area will also be benefited,’’ he says.

Earlier, in his letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the CM had sought the conversion of the Pathankot-Jogindernagar line into a broad gauge line. He even asserted that the project could not be shelved — despite a whopping estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore — since it was a matter of “national security”.