Bilaspur–Manali–Leh Rail Project to Feature World's Highest Railway Station in Ladakh

Key facts

• India plans a 489-km Bilaspur-Manali-Leh railway line costing Rs 1.31 lakh crore, featuring a station at Tengla near Tanglang La pass in Ladakh at about 5,359 metres (17,582 feet), which would surpass China's Tanggula station (5,068 metres or 16,627 feet) as the world's highest railway station.
• The corridor will connect Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh with Leh in Ladakh via Sundernagar, Mandi, Manali, Keylong, Sarchu and Upshi, with over 270 km of the route in tunnels, 62 tunnels and 116 bridges, including India's first underground railway station at Keylong.
• The survey is complete and a Detailed Project Report prepared, but the project awaits formal construction approval, requiring consultations and clearances from bodies including NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Finance.
• The Ministry of Defence has designated the line as strategically significant for military logistics and all-weather connectivity to Ladakh, while the first phase, the Bhanupali-Bilaspur section, is under construction with completion expected by 2027.