Minister of Railways, Communications and Electronic & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw has informed that Rishikesh-Karanprayag new line project was sanctioned in budget 2010-11. Anticipated cost of the project is Rs 16,216 crore, out of which an expenditure of Rs 6,618 crore has been incurred till date. Outlay of Rs 4200 crore has been allocated in financial year 2021-22. Yog Nagri Rishikesh to Virbhadra (5.7 km) section has been commissioned in March, 2020. Beyond km 6.0, the alignment is mostly in tunnels. Work at all tunnels and major bridges have been taken up.
Land acquisition and Forest clearance in entire project have been completed. ‘No Objection Certificates’ have been received from all the Gram Sabhas located along the line of the Railway project as prescribed in the guidelines of Forest Right Act-2006 of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MOEF & CC). The schemes for compensation and rehabilitation of the affected families has been provided as per the provisions given in three Schedules of the Right to fair compensation and transparency in land acquisition, rehabilitation and resettlement act, 2013 (RFCTLARR act 2013).