Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday met Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to press for faster movement on a series of railway projects in the state and to seek central support for organising Kumbh 2027 as a technology-enabled event.
The discussions covered both transport infrastructure and digital planning, two areas the state government is seeking to position as central to Uttarakhand’s development and pilgrimage management strategy. Vaishnaw currently handles both the railways and electronics and information technology portfolios.
On the rail front, Dhami asked the Centre to expedite action on several pending and proposed projects aimed at strengthening connectivity across Uttarakhand, including between the Kumaon and Garhwal regions. He said improved rail access was important for a state with difficult terrain, heavy seasonal travel and a large dependence on pilgrimage and tourism-linked movement.
Among the proposals raised was the extension of the Regional Rapid Transit System from Meerut to Haridwar and Rishikesh. Dhami cited the operational Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor as a model that has helped reduce travel time and improve commuting efficiency, and argued that a similar expansion could help ease traffic pressure on major pilgrimage routes in Uttarakhand.
The chief minister also sought faster progress on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project and requested that the first phase be completed and inaugurated by 2026. He asked the Centre to grant national project status to the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line and approve the final location survey for the Bageshwar-Karnaprayag rail project.
{{/usCountry}}The chief minister also sought faster progress on the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail project and requested that the first phase be completed and inaugurated by 2026. He asked the Centre to grant national project status to the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line and approve the final location survey for the Bageshwar-Karnaprayag rail project.
{{/usCountry}}Other proposals taken up during the meeting included doubling the Haridwar-Dehradun rail line, development works related to the Raiwala by-डक bridge, and quicker completion and approval of final location surveys for the Doiwala-Uttarkashi and Karnaprayag-Peepalkoti stretches under the Char Dham rail project. Dhami also sought priority approval for the Mohand-Dehradun-Saharanpur rail line.
Taken together, the projects reflect the state’s attempt to improve last-mile and inter-regional connectivity while reducing pressure on road networks, which often face congestion during tourist peaks and religious gatherings. Rail expansion has been a recurring demand in Uttarakhand, particularly in the context of regional access, economic development and disaster-resilient transport planning.
The meeting also focused on preparations for Kumbh 2027, for which the state government has proposed a “Digital Kumbh” framework. Dhami told the Union minister that Uttarakhand plans to use artificial intelligence, Internet of Things-based systems and other digital tools to improve crowd management, traffic regulation, public communication, safety monitoring and disaster response during the religious congregation.
The state government has proposed financial assistance of ₹143.96 crore from the Union ministry of electronics and information technology for the project. Dhami sought early consideration of the proposal, arguing that timely approval would help the state put in place the technological backbone required for managing a large-scale event of this nature.
The digital plan is intended to support real-time monitoring and faster administrative response during the Kumbh, when large pilgrim inflows place pressure on civic infrastructure and public safety systems. State officials have been projecting the 2027 edition as an event that combines traditional religious significance with modern public management tools.
According to the state government, Vaishnaw assured the chief minister that the proposals submitted during the meeting would receive positive consideration. No timelines for specific approvals were announced.