In a coordination meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan with DRM Moradabad Sangrah Maurya, preparations for Kumbh 2027 and other railway projects were reviewed. The Chief Secretary emphasized that the Haridwar-Dehradun rail line must be doubled before the Maha Kumbh 2033, directing that wildlife and forest clearances be initiated.
He asked Railways to prepare a traffic management and circulation plan for the Kumbh and include Rishikesh and Haridwar stations in the facelift program. Railways was also instructed to designate a dedicated fair officer for Kumbh 2027 and ensure representation in all related meetings. A mechanism for regular information exchange between Railways and the Uttarakhand government was also stressed.
On infrastructure, Bardhan directed a joint survey by Rajaji National Park, Railways, and the DFO team for the Rishikesh-Doiwala bypass. He also instructed fast-tracking the expansion of Harrawala station through joint surveys of Railway, Forest, and Revenue departments.
The Chief Secretary further called for a long-term mobility plan covering all transport modes and options for the next 50 years. DRM Sangrah Maurya informed that the preliminary survey of the Dehradun–Mussoorie railway project has been completed, with the final location survey to begin soon. The Saharanpur–Dehradun project’s final survey is already in progress, while Harrawala station’s DPR has been approved, awaiting project sanction.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Brijesh Kumar Sant and C. Ravishankar, Resident Commissioner Ajay Mishra, MDDA Vice Chairman, and DG Information Banshidhar Tiwari along with other senior officials.
