A direct train from Delhi to Ladakh, yes that's right!

Ladakh has always been the go-to spot for those who love travelling. It features heavily on adventure-packed bucket lists, but only few people visit Ladakh due to the inconvenience faced by them.But now things have changed as Indian railways plans to start a direct train from Delhi to Ladakh. Till now if you want to go Ladakh, you can travel by air by taking a flight from Delhi, Jammu, Srinagar or Mumbai to Leh. Or you can go by bike, car through the Srinagar-Leh or Manali-Leh highway.

Until now those who like to travel by train would've to take Jammu Tawi Express from major cities and reach at Jammu which is 700 km away from Ladakh, but that is going to change very soon as Indian Railways plans to connect New Delhi with Ladakh through the world's highest railway line.

The national transporter plans to build a strategically-important Bilaspur-Manali-Leh line along the Indo-China border. The location survey of the first phase is complete. The final location survey is yet to be completed after which a detailed project report will be finalised. It is the most difficult project undertaken by the railways till date given the terrain over which the tracks have to be laid.

This is a mammoth project undertaken by Indian Railways and it will cost a staggering INR 83,360 crores and will let you reach Leh from Delhi via train in a mere 20 hours as compared to the current duration of 40 hours. It would be the highest railway track in the world when complete. At its highest point, the tracks would be at 5360 meters above sea level. Presently, the highest railway line is the Quinghai-Tibet Railway in China, which is elevated 2000 meters above sea level.

There would be 30 stations on the new line. The important locations to be connected en route between Bilaspur and Leh are Sundarnagar, Mandi, Manali, Keylong, Darcha, Upshi and Karu in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

The train route from Delhi to Leh will go through a humongous 74 tunnels, 124 bridges and an additional 396 smaller bridges. The proposed railway line of the project is 465 km, out of which more than 50% would go through tunnels. A good duration of this journey will have adventures unfolding in the tunnel itself because it is the mighty Himalayas; one of the tunnels is estimated to run for 27 km! Keylong will be one of the main stations on the route and will be built a height of 3000 meters.

Concerned about the air pressure and the altitude? The Indian Railway is studying the make of the coaches of the Quinghai-Tibet line before constructing the ones for Bilaspur-Leh train. There would be oxygen masks available for passengers as well as doctors on call to cope with possible emergencies. Indian Railways will have to face numerous challenges in completing this project as it requires both setting up the railway tracks at such a high altitude and at the same time taking care of safety of passengers.

While on this journey, get ready for the spectacle of a lifetime, that is when you have crossed over all the the tunnels. The train will provide stunning views of the Shivalik and Himalayan ranges. Out of all the place do look out for the very gorgeous terrain of Manali, Keylong, Mandi, Upshi, Karu and of course, Leh. Needless to mention keep those camera lenses ready.

The final location survey is currently in progress and it is expected to be completed in 30 months time. The date and year of completion of project are still unclear. But hey, once it's done, a direct train trip from Delhi to Ladakh surely sounds like a trip worth taking.

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